


Trapped

by LoveSpell38



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-05-20 11:52:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 56,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19376158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveSpell38/pseuds/LoveSpell38
Summary: Harry Potter, Head Auror, is getting a divorce. And to make matters worse, he's now trapped in a Ministry of Magic courtroom with his ex-wife. What's even MORE worse- a Death Eater is on the loose. Harry Potter's marriage may be ending, but his crazy adventure is just beginning.





	1. The Divorce

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this is a continuation to my other story, The Girl That Changed Everything, but it can also be read separately. Furthermore, I’m no expert at divorces or custody trials, so parts of this story may not be legally correct, and I apologize in advance.

_“I hate you!” she screamed, her hair spilling crazily in all directions, her eyes wild._   
  
_“Well, I hate you more!” Harry yelled back, sounding more childish than he had meant to. Why should he care, anyway? This whole thing was beyond immature. Yet here they were, a couple that had been happily married for eleven years, screaming and swearing at each other. How had things gotten this bad?_   
  
_“I told you never to lie to me, ever!” she continued to screech, her face red with frustration and angry tears spilling from her eyes. “You never listen to me, you think I’m stupid, you go behind my back…”_   
  
_“Oh, **I**  go behind your back, do I?” Harry fired back sarcastically. “Well, I wonder who taught me how! You’ve been going behind my back for months now, charming every wizard you meet on the street, bringing them back to  **MY**  house, where Merlin knows what goes on…”_   
  
_“Stop it!” she yelled, stamping her foot and looking quite like a four-year old. “I’ve never done ANYTHING like that! You’re the one whose always gone, ‘saving’ people left and right, while in the meantime your family is at home depending on you. Who knows what sort of witches are flying on the back of your broomstick, dying to hear about your glorious and heroic life, while I’m here taking care of your home and your child!”_   
  
_Harry was in such a state of shock and disbelief that he found himself stuttering and tripping over his words. He hated when she did this to him! Just because she had such a flair for arguing, and flinging verbal attacks on him when he least expected it, didn’t mean she had the right to accuse him of scandalous trysts that even HE wasn’t aware of!_   
  
_“I don’t know what you’re trying to get at,” he said, as calmly as possible, while his wife continued to glare at him. “I’ve never lied to you…I promise.”_   
  
_Elle paused for a moment. She gazed at him, her eyes wary and full of distrust, before sitting down slowly onto the couch and burying her face in her hands._   
  
_“I don’t believe you,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “I never thought it was possible from you, Harry, of all people. You said you would never hurt me, and I thought you were telling the truth. But you didn’t. You lied. And now I don’t know if I can ever forgive you.”_   
  
_Harry sighed and walked slowly towards her, gingerly stepping over broken dishes and discarded furniture that he was in no mood to repair right now._   
  
_“Elle, I don’t know how to explain this to you…” he said, attempting a reasonable tone to cover up his overwhelming fury. “You should already know that I wouldn’t have done something like this if I hadn’t had a good reason. Just because I can’t tell you…”_   
  
_“Harry, we have to tell each other everything!” Elle cried. “That’s the only way this marriage is ever going to work!” She sniffed. “We’ve always been honest with each other,” she said quietly. “But now, it feels like we barely know each other. When was the last time you confided in me, about anything? When was the last time you came home for dinner? When was the last time you spent an afternoon with Calla, your daughter, who loves you? I know your job is important, I mean, I was an Auror myself for a couple of years…”_   
  
_“Until you quit,” Harry said bitterly, narrowing his eyes._   
  
_Elle nodded. “It was becoming my whole life,” she explained. “I told you this before, Harry, I value my family more than destroying retired Death Eaters. And I know that stuff is important to you, and that’s okay, but ever since I left the job you’ve become so distant, and I just wish that you would tell me…”_   
  
_“Elle, I can’t tell you everything!” Harry yelled, his frustration reaching a boiling point. “You don’t have an Auror’s life anymore, you’re not part of what goes on with me every day…”_   
  
_“I can be a part of it, if you let me!” Elle exclaimed._   
  
_“It’s not that simple!” Harry shouted. “There are some things that need to be kept private, for your sake and for Calla’s sake! But you can’t just let me be! It’s easy for you to stay at home all the time and go shopping with Calla every day, but I…”_   
  
_“Oh, so your life is more important than mine?” Elle asked icily, crossing her arms over her chest. “Harry, don’t you realize? These things that you’re keeping private, these thoughts that you have against me, they’re destroying us! I mean, I feel like everything we’ve worked so hard for has just disappeared, and now it’s too late to ever get it back.”_   
  
_Harry took a deep breath. “So what do we do?” he asked, afraid of the answer._   
  
_Elle raised her eyebrows. “Will you start being honest with me?”_   
  
_Harry hesitated. “I can’t,” he decided._   
  
_Elle bit her lip. Harry glared at her._   
  
_“Will you start trusting me?” he asked._   
  
_Elle shook her head. “I can’t,” she whispered._   
  
_Harry stormed towards the front door, eager to get away all of a sudden. “I guess that settles it, then” he replied, reaching for the door handle._   
  
_Elle looked up, shocked at the finality in his voice. “Are you saying you want a… a divorce?” she demanded, her worst fear confirmed._   
  
_They locked eyes briefly, before Harry grabbed his jacket and swept outside, the door slamming forcefully behind him._   
  
_And that was the end of that._   
  


* * *

 

**Six Months Later**  
  
It was the second time Harry had been inside a Ministry of Magic courtroom. Although today, it wasn’t the glares from members of the Wizengamot that made him uncomfortable. In fact, the room was quite empty. No, it was the glare coming from the person sitting in the row across from him that made Harry want to run out the door. The one person he thought he trusted more than anyone. The person he thought he would spend the rest of his life with. His wife.  
  
They were getting divorced. All the paperwork had been finalized. Now, all that was left was their signatures. After that, they would have a trial deciding which of them was to take full custody of Calla, their eleven year-old daughter.

Harry was prepared to fight desperately for that chance, but he had a nasty feeling that Elle would win. His soon to be ex-wife had hired one of the most sought-after magical lawyers in all of California (her home state), and besides, she had a very strong case against him. Harry couldn’t help hating her for that, and thought that if Calla were taken away from him, he would hate her even more.  
  
Calla, who sat next to her mother, caught Harry’s eye and waved at him. Harry smiled sadly back at her. She would be going to Hogwarts in the fall- if Harry lost custody of her now, then he’d hardly get to spend any time with her at all before she left. Not that he’d been able to spend that much time with her in the first place; he was at work practically 24/7, as Elle was quick to point out. But he had been planning on taking the summer off before Calla left for school. 

He had tried explaining this to his wife, but Elle didn’t believe him. She didn’t believe anything he said anymore. This was partly his fault for not confiding in her, but she could show a little more trust. How could Elle do this to him?  
  
Calla frowned at Harry’s less than enthusiastic response, and turned around again.

Harry sighed. Calla was a smart girl (more smart-alecky than book-smart, but then again, she took after her mother), and she understood what was going on, but she was still confused at her parent’s animosity towards each other, when not too long ago they were completely in love. Harry had a hard time figuring that one out as well, but he guessed that everything had gone downhill when Elle had quit her job as an Auror in order to stay at home and take care of Calla. She was tired of sending her off to daycare all the time, and even though she said she loved battling dark wizards, she just couldn’t do it anymore.

Harry had been shocked and angry with her…as with everything Elle did, it was spontaneous and completely out of respect for anyone’s feelings but her own.  
  
Sensing Calla’s sudden movement, Elle turned around as well, and even though she was wearing her coveted dark Christian Dior sunglasses (not to mention the fact that it was nighttime, and they were  _inside_ ), Harry could tell that her eyes were narrowed and a frown was set sourly upon her face. Her expression was so childish and immature, that Harry half expected her to stick out her tongue right in front of the Ministry wizards who were finalizing their divorce.  
  
Usually, proceeding with such matters so late at night in the middle of a Ministry of Magic courtroom wouldn’t have taken place, but since the divorce included the famous Harry Potter and his wife, special circumstances were made. All parties concerned wanted this kept from the Daily Prophet as long as possible, and Harry knew that if anyone found out that him and Elle were separating, the situation would become even worse. The only people who knew so far were Ron and Hermione…both of whom just so happened to be sitting next to Harry and were there on the request of Harry’s need for moral support.  
  
The Ministry of Magic wizard, whose nametag read “Colin”, cleared his throat and retrieved two very official creamy white pieces of parchment from a pile in front of him, both with tons of tiny black words inked on it that from this distance looked more like miniscule ants scaling their way down the pages. He handed one copy to Harry, and one copy to Elle, while in the meantime keeping a safe distance from each of them, just in case one decided to jump up and start strangling him with their bare hands.  
  
Elle snatched the parchment quickly from Colin and suspiciously glanced down the page, as Harry did the same. He tried to make sense of the words that were written so clearly and articulately, but he was having trouble concentrating. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Elle had pushed her sunglasses up so that they were resting on top of her blond, unkempt, lopsided ponytail, and that while she had been reading, her eyes had become slightly glazed over.

He knew that she didn’t understand a word of it, and his thoughts were confirmed as she looked towards her attorney and said, “Uh, Eduardo, can you please translate this for me?”  
  
Calla bit her lip. Harry raised his eyebrows at Ron and Hermione, but the two of them only sighed. Harry knew that they both felt terribly awkward being here, since they had both become great friends of Elle’s as well, and being forced to pick a side throughout this divorce had not been easy on them. But after all, Harry had known them first, and even though it wasn’t fair of him to steal away two of Elle’s friends, he couldn’t help feeling that this was compensation for Elle trying to steal Calla away.  
  
Eduardo opened his mouth to try and explain things to his demanding employer, but Colin cut in, saying hastily “It’s just some last minute formalities, Miss. Nothing major. Legal issues.”  
  
 _Issues you wouldn’t understand_ , Harry thought bitterly. He didn’t know why Elle was so mad. This was what she wanted, wasn’t it? Couldn’t she just sign the damn papers and end this whole ordeal, making it less painful for both of them?  
  
Elle sighed. “Fine,” she said tightly, and closed her eyes. “Just tell me what I have to do.”  
  
Colin attempted a reassuring smile and patted her lightly on the hand. Despite the circumstances, Harry couldn’t help glaring ferociously at the “helpful” Ministry wizard.  _Okay pal; keep your hands off of her._  
  
“All I need is your signature,” he replied, handing her a quill.  
  
Elle took it and bit her lip, squinting tiredly at the thin black line all the way at the bottom of the page. She was stalling, and Harry knew it.  
  
Not wanting to drag this out any further, he stood up, retrieved a quill for himself, and sat back down. With one last reassuring glance from his two best friends, he dipped the quill in ink and jotted down his signature, feeling quite the same as if he were signing his soul over to the devil.  
  


* * *

 

Elle couldn’t lie- she was shocked at how fast Harry had signed his name. He didn’t even _pretend_  to look things over one last time. But of course, she was partly to blame for that…after all, it had been her suggestion for a divorce in the first place, but she had never meant for them to actually, well,  _get divorced_. Things between them had just spiraled out of control, and the spark that had kept their marriage alive for the past eleven years seemed to keep getting stamped on. And she was just so mad at him, and he was furious with her, and now…they were going to be separated. Forever.  
  
None of it made sense, and what was worse, Elle had pretty much brought this upon herself. As always, she had screwed up. But this time, the outcome would be worse, as it affected Calla too. She knew what a terrible nightmare this must be for her daughter, and even though Calla was handling it with extreme maturity, Elle knew that she was still hurting inside at the fact that her parents were splitting up, and that she was to be torn apart from one of them, at least for most of the time.  
  
A few minutes had passed since Harry had signed, and Elle was still pretending to read the page, even though the words were beginning to swim in front of her, looking more like gibberish than English.  
  
Calla nudged Elle and, aware that all eyes were on them, whispered “Mum, aren’t you going to sign? Dad’s waiting.”  
  
Elle took a deep breath and smiled. “Of course, I was just making sure that everything’s, you know, correct.”  
  
She took a deep breath and signed her legal name, complete with a fancy flourish underneath. She glanced briefly at Harry before sliding her sunglasses back onto her nose, and Harry looked determinedly away from her.  
  
Elle could feel her eyes watering, and was thankful for the dark shades masking her depression. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at Hermione and Ron. As from this point on, they were traitors, sticking by Harry and never leaving his side, as they were always meant to do.  
  
Standing up, she took Calla by the hand and gave the signed papers back to Colin.  
  
“Thank you very much,” she said, as Eduardo got up to follow her. “I believe our time here is done, right?”  
  
Eduardo cleared his throat. “Mrs. Potter, we still have to choose the date for the custody hearing,” he reminded his client swiftly.  
  
Elle winced. “It’s Miss Levine now, if you please,” she corrected her lawyer, shooting a scathing look at Harry. “And isn’t it your job to figure out the dates for all this?” She knew she was being exceedingly rude, but she was definitely overpaying for his services.  
  
Colin retrieved the papers from Harry and levitated them both into neatly stacked files with a wave of his wand.  
  
“The custody of Calla Potter will be taken into discussion a week from today, if that’s okay with you,” he said, darting uneasy glances between Harry and Elle. “Until then, I think it’s best if the child stays wherever she’s most comfortable.”  
  
Elle nodded. “Don’t worry, Calla will be just fine staying with me. I’ll see you next week.” She spun on her heel and meant to walk out the door, but Harry quickly stood up.  
  
“Wait!” he called out.  
  
Elle froze and closed her eyes. This was the moment where Harry would take her in his arms, tell her how sorry and wrong he was, and that he’d like nothing better than to blow up the papers lying in those nauseatingly neat files until they resembled nothing more than tiny mountains of ash, and they would both kiss and spend the whole night confiding in each other…  
  
“I get to say goodbye to Calla first,” he said stiffly, looking at Elle coldly.   
  
Elle sighed, deeply disappointed.  
  
“Of course” she said, grimly. Calla looked at her, and Elle smiled. “It’s okay, I’ll be waiting outside in the hallway when you’re done.”  
  
“Uh, mum?” Calla asked uneasily. “Is it alright if I stay with Dad tonight? Please?”  
  
Elle hesitated. She was just about to suggest that maybe she could stay for half a night, but then Harry spoke up before she got the chance.  
  
“I’m sorry Calla, but tonight’s not good,” he said softly, looking sincerely regretful. “I have to go to work, but I promise you that tomorrow…”  
  
Elle looked at Harry in disgust. The disappointed look on Calla’s face was too much for her to bear, and Harry had been telling her this same story ever since he had become mega-attached to his stupid job. It wasn’t fair to Calla, and he had no right to take custody of her, or to even try.  
  
“Like I was saying,” Elle interrupted, as Calla continued to look moody. “I’ll be waiting in the hallway.”  
  
Calla sighed. “Alright,” she replied unhappily.  
  
Without another glance at Harry, Elle quickly left the room, only to run into Hermione, whom it appeared had been lurking in the hallway, waiting for her so that they could perhaps have a little heart to heart.  
  
Elle eyed her friend warily, but Hermione wasted no time in giving a reassuring, non-threatening glance.  
  
“Oh, Elle,” she said, with only a little hesitance and just the right amount of sincerity. “I know this must be terrible for you…and awkward too…but it’s not like Ron and I are choosing sides, it’s just that…”  
  
Elle took a deep breath. “It’s okay Hermione,” she said calmly, trying as hard as she could to keep all bitterness out of her voice. “You were Harry’s friend first, and I get that. You certainly are very loyal to him. But I’m okay, and I’m handling things just fine on my own, without help from you or Ron.”  
  
Hermione shook her head. “You always do this when you’re angry- you push people away. I don’t want you to start avoiding us, like you did the last time you and Harry broke up. I’m still your friend- I just wanted you to know that.”  
  
Elle was reminded of when she and Harry had their first major fight, and she had avoided Harry, Ron, and Hermione for the better part of six months. But that was only because she knew how things worked; they were the golden trio, the original friends, and she was the random nobody who had waltzed into their lives and disrupted their precious circle of friendship. And it was the same issue this time- her and Harry were now divorced, which meant that she had no right to claim any of his friends, and he had every right to keep them to himself.  
  
Instead of screaming all of this in the middle of the Ministry of Magic hallway, Elle forced a smile and said, “Thanks, that’s really good to know. I’m still your friend, too. But for now, let’s just part ways on as lighthearted terms as we can manage. My relationship with Harry is destroyed, and as much as we can pretend otherwise, it seems that this will affect our relationship as well. I don’t want to lose you as friend, Hermione. Therefore, I think it’s best if we see each other as little as possible from this moment onward.”  
  
Hermione looked at her in astonishment. “Elle, that was very eloquent and all, but…are you…are you  _dumping_  me?”  
  
Elle swallowed and shook her head, desiring nothing more than to be alone and to think. She wanted a nice long bubble bath and a glass of wine.

She rubbed her forehead and looked to see if Calla was done talking to Harry yet. What was taking her so long?  
  
“Hermione, please don’t take this personally,” she said finally, turning back around and feeling guilty at the troubled look on Hermione’s face. “I just need some time apart from everything, especially everything that reminds me of Harry.”  
  
Hermione sighed. “I understand,” she said sadly. “At least let me do you a favor. I’ll watch Calla for you tonight, if you let her sleep over; she’ll enjoy playing with Kevin and Michael, and besides, you look like you could use some time to yourself.”  
  
Elle nodded her head in resignation. “I’ll ask her when she comes out,” she agreed, grateful to Hermione for her kind offer. “And really, I don’t mean to be a bitch, you know that…I’m just really stressed out right now.”  
  
Hermione nodded in understanding. “It’s alright,” she replied soothingly. “But just remember, you’re not the only one who’s stressed.”  
  


* * *

 

When Elle left the room, Harry looked down at his daughter with both eyebrows raised. “So,” he asked, his words echoing throughout the silent courtroom. “Are you really mad at me?”  
  
Calla smiled. “No, I’m not,” she assured him. “But do you really have to work tonight? I mean, it’s already late, and you work every night. What if you just said you were really sick and throwing up everywhere? Then would you have to go?”  
  
Harry laughed. “Probably,” he answered apologetically. “Where’d you come up with those excuses, anyway? Never mind, don’t answer that.”  
  
He sighed, and bent down so that his face was level with Calla’s.  
  
“Listen, you know that if it was my choice I would much rather hang out with you tonight,” he said earnestly. “But the other Aurors, they need my help. Don’t you want your dad to get rid of all the bad wizards out there?”  
  
Calla nodded her head. “I do,” she responded sincerely. “And I’m really proud of you, but I miss you. We haven’t had a game of Quidditch in ages! I mean, mum’s good at it and everything, but the game doesn’t really work with two players.”  
  
Harry smiled sadly. “I promise, I’ll make it up to you,” he told Calla, hoping that this would cheer her up. “We’ll have the best game of Quidditch there is, and by the time you go to Hogwarts, you’ll definitely make the Gryffindor team.”  
  
Calla laughed. “Mum says it’s wrong to just assume I’ll be in Gryffindor. She says the other houses are just as good.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah, she’s just saying that,” Harry said playfully, trying to ignore the sharp pain that ran through his body at the mention of Elle. “After all, she’s the one who decorated your room in scarlet and gold. But I know you’ll be great no matter what house you get sorted into.”  
  
Calla gave her dad a look. “Even Slytherin?” she asked slyly.  
  
“Especially Slytherin,” he joked, winking at her.  
  
Ron, who was standing by the door waiting for him, shook his head and walked back over to Harry.  
  
“Hey, mate,” he said easily, clamping a hand on Harry’s back and winking at Calla. “You alright?”  
  
Harry sighed. “I guess,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Not much to be done now, is there?”  
  
They were both silent for a moment, and Harry tried his best to appear nonchalant. “So, um, are you working tonight?” he asked Ron, referring to their shared demands of being among the top Aurors in the country.  
  
Ron shook his head. “Nah, I traded shifts with Kingsley. It’s Hermione’s night off as well, so she asked me to stay home and help take care of the kids. It’s about time we gave my mother a break anyway; she’s been watching them every day for three weeks straight. I would feel badly about it, but she loves helping out.”  
  
He grinned, and Harry nodded. It would be much easier if Calla had a loving grandmother willing to watch over her whenever Elle and Harry needed her, but unfortunately, she didn’t. Not that Mrs. Weasley didn’t offer, but he didn’t want to take advantage of her help.   
  
Calla crossed her arms over her chest. “So, if Ron’s not working, then why do you have to?” she asked, but Harry knew she was teasing. Calla may still be young, but she had a sharp mind and understood things very quickly. She, unlike her mother, appreciated that Harry was out there fighting for the good of the wizarding world, and idolized him for it.  
  
Harry, instead of biting back and tempting her natural wit, looked her dead in the eyes and said, “The whole summer Calla- just you and me. I’ll take off for a whole month, right before you leave for school. You have my word.”  
  
Calla looked excited, and even broke into a genuine grin. “Really? You’re not lying?” she asked.   
  
Harry looked offended. “Don’t tell me you’re ganging up on me too! Would I lie about this?”   
  
Calla shrugged. “I have my own opinions. I’m not saying mum doesn’t have a point, but I love you dad, and I trust you.”  
  
Harry enveloped her in a hug. “That’s good to know,” he said, sighing in relief. “I love you too, Calla. Even if you don’t get to live me with me, we’ll find a way to be together.”  
  
Calla hugged him back. “I know,” she whispered quietly. Then she added, “It’s strange, I had the strongest feeling that you  _wouldn’t_ be going to work tonight.”  
  
Harry frowned. Calla often had these strange feelings; premonitions about certain events that usually ended up coming true. It was something she had been able to do since birth, but Harry still had his suspicions about it.  
  
“Don’t worry,” he told her comfortingly. “I’m definitely going.”  
  
After they broke apart, she tucked her glistening ebony hair behind her ears and turned towards the door. “I better get back to mum before she freaks out. Have fun at work, dad.”  
  
Harry watched his daughter go with a pang of solemnity. This was the most time he had spent with her in over a year. He didn’t mean to be so distant all the time, but his job was just too demanding. After all, the life an Auror wasn’t meant for a man with a family. In order to be a good Auror, your career had to be your life. And as many times as Harry considered following Elle’s example and quitting, he knew he couldn’t. He cared too much about people, about relieving them from all the darkness that was out there, and the danger he had to face every day was not worth passing up for a life at a desk job.

But his career came with sacrifices, and lying was one of them. It was just too bad that this one particular lie had destroyed his family.  
  
Ron sighed and led Harry towards the door, both of them taking their time so that Harry wouldn’t have to run into Elle and face a possible explosion.  
  
“Don’t feel so bad,” Ron said, attempting to be supportive. “You did everything you could. It was Elle who wanted a divorce, and she got what she wanted. Now all you have to do is move on.”  
  
Harry shook his head. “Eleven years, Ron…marriage, a home, a child…how does all that get thrown away by signing a stupid piece of parchment?”  
  
Ron shrugged. “I guess…it just wasn’t mean to be, that’s all. I mean come on, you two were way too young when you got married, and then you had a baby right afterwards! It’s natural to be caught up in all that excitement and everything, but then the exhilaration wears off, and people change. It’s not your fault, Harry.”  
  
Harry looked at Ron. “Then why do I feel so bad about it? Why do I feel like I just made a huge mistake?”  
  
Ron hastily arranged his features in a reassuring grin. “Trust me, mate. You did the right thing.”  
  


* * *

 

Five minutes later, and the arrangements for the night were all settled. Calla was to be leaving with Ron and Hermione, where she would then sleep over at their house and play with Kevin and Michael, Ron and Hermione’s sons. After Calla had agreed enthusiastically to this plan, Elle bent down and gave her daughter one last hug for the night.  
  
“Be good,” she said, racking her brain for all the appropriate warnings that coincided with allowing a child out of one’s sight for more than an hour. “Make sure you listen to everything Ron and Hermione say, and don’t wander off…and brush your teeth…and if you have nightmares…”  
  
Calla sighed. “I’ll be fine,” she promised, giving her mother a quick hug. “I’ve got my wand, half my stuff is at their house anyway, and I’ll call you first thing tomorrow morning.”  
  
Elle still looked unsure. “Do you want to take the cell phone? Or Hedwig? I’m sure your dad will let you borrow her…”  
  
Calla shook her head earnestly. “Honestly, mum, I can always use Pig. But I’ll take the cell phone if it will make you happy, okay?” As Elle had made sure, her daughter was unnaturally savvy at both wizarding world and muggle devices.  
  
Elle nodded. “Okay,” she said, standing up and putting on a smile. “Have fun, and be safe.”  
  
Calla grinned. “I will,” she said. “You be safe too.”  
  
Elle gave her an odd look. “What do you mean?”  
  
Calla hesitated, not wanting to worry her mother further. “Never mind,” she said, tossing her velvety black hair behind her.  
  
Elle sighed. She turned to Hermione. “Thanks again.”  
  
Hermione smiled. “Any time. Do you want to walk out to the atrium with us?”  
  
“Sure. Hey, wait a second…” Elle groped around the top of her head for her sunglasses, but only managed to snatch a few strands of blonde hair. “Oh no, I think I left my sunglasses back in that disgusting courtroom. You guys go on ahead, I’ll go back and get them.”  
  
Hermione shrugged. “Okay. Well, see you tomorrow. Oh, and try to get some rest tonight, okay? You look like you could use it.”  
  
Elle let out a deep breath. “Thanks,” she murmured, turning around and heading back towards the heavy black door. “Good night Calla, I love you!” she called.  
  
“Night mum!”  
  


* * *

 

“What’s wrong?” Ron asked, as Harry stopped in his tracks. They had been on their way to the atrium to meet up with Hermione, when Harry had paused and started fumbling around in his pockets, searching for something.  
  
“My wand,” he muttered, digging inside his jacket and back pockets. “I think I lost it.” He checked for a third time and spun around, his eyes scanning the floor. Nothing but lint and dust.  _Damn._  
  
“You probably just left it in the courtroom,” Ron suggested, a look of alarm on his face. “Want me to go back with you and check?”  
  
Harry shook his head. “Nah, you go on ahead. I’ll owl you once I get to the office and look over the assignments. Look after Calla for me, will you?”  
  
Ron shrugged. “No problem,” he said, as Harry sprinted back in the direction they had come from. “Good luck with everything!”  
  
“Thanks!” Harry yelled back, but he was already halfway towards the courtroom where he had merely minutes ago signed those dreaded papers. Thankfully, someone had left the door ajar, and Harry breezed into the room.  
  
He headed right towards the bench where he had been sitting earlier and quickly observed the surrounding area. Instead of finding his wand, however, his eyes landed upon a familiar looking pair of black sunglasses. Which could only mean one thing…  
  
“What are you doing here?” Elle asked angrily from the doorway, glaring down at Harry’s hunched figure, her ferocious words echoing throughout the cold and empty room. Colin was gone, as well as that pretentious looking lawyer of hers. They were alone.  
  
Harry stood up and dangled the abandoned sunglasses. “Looking for these?” he asked, a smirk spreading across his face.  
  
Elle narrowed her eyes. “Give them back.”  
  
Harry raised a hand to toss them over to her, but she instantly squealed. “No, no, don’t throw them, you idiot!”  
  
“You care about these more than you care about me,” Harry muttered under his breath, but Elle didn’t hear him.  
  
“Don’t move,” she commanded. “I’ll come and get them.”  
  
She flung the door open and strode over the threshold, but not before absentmindedly flinging the door forcefully backwards…  
  
“Stop!” Harry shouted, but it was too late. Elle spun around and tried to grab the door handle, but accidentally slipped on Harry’s wand, which was lying right underneath her feet.  
  
The door slammed closed with intimidating force, and Elle fell back against it with a small gasp of surprise. Harry winced, and hoped that the sound of locks clicking into place was just his imagination.  
  
They stayed in horrified silence, none of them knowing what to say or do next.  
  
Harry shook his head and walked slowly towards the door. “Great,” he muttered, yanking relentlessly on the handle. The door wouldn’t budge.  
  
Elle rolled her eyes and stood up, without any attempt coming from Harry to help her.  
  
“Let me handle this.” She concentrated all her attention on the heavy black door and pointed a finger towards the barrier. A scattering of sparks shot out from her fingertips and hit the doorknob, but nothing happened. So she tried again. Still nothing. Then she kicked it. And slammed her body against it.  
  
Harry watched her beat up the door for about three minutes, before taking out his wand and suggesting that she move away before seriously injuring herself. Not that he cared, but they weren’t making any progress.  
  
“That’s not going to work,” he said, unnecessarily. “The door must have a Security charm on it. The Ministry’s closed, so nobody can get in or out of any doors or rooms. The only way out is to alert a Ministry employee with a key. Until then, we’re stuck here.”  
  
Elle raised her eyebrows. “I know that, genius. I figured it out after banging my toe on the damn thing. So I’m just going to disapparate, and you can wait for the key. Okay?”  
  
Harry smirked again. “I don’t think so.”  
  
Elle groaned. “Don’t tell me…we can’t apparate or disapparate from here, can we?”  
  
Harry shook his head. “Not in the courtrooms, it's to prevent criminals from escaping. And no one knows we’re here.”  
  
He bent down, picked up his wand (which was still rolling precariously next to Elle’s feet), and held it firmly in his hands. He had a feeling he was going to need it tonight. “There’s only one thing to do.”  
  
Elle scowled. She hated the self-satisfied smirk on his pampered, heroic little face. It made her want to vomit.  
  
“What’s that?” she asked, dreading the answer.  
  
Harry strode over to the benches and sat, leaning back and putting his hands casually behind his head. 

“We wait,” he said, as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. “The other Aurors will be reporting to work shortly for the graveyard shift.”  
  
“But…” Elle hesitated. “The Auror office is way, way, above us. We’re like…really farther down.”  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. She could be so dense at times. “Well, in that case, I have just one question for you.”  
  
Elle bit her lip in anger.  _Here we go._  
  
“What’s that?” she repeated.  
  
Harry squinted at her and tilted his head.  
  
“Dearest,” he replied sarcastically. “How loud can you shout?”  
  



	2. The Flashbacks

It was no use. Elle had been screaming herself hoarse for fifteen minutes, but nothing had happened. Her cries hadn’t been heard, she hadn’t been acknowledged, and she certainly hadn’t been rescued. Now, her voice was almost gone, and she had no idea what else to do.  
  
“Down here!” she shouted feebly, in one last pitiful attempt, pounding her tiny fists against the bolted door. “Please help us, we’re trapped…”  
  
“I don’t think anyone can hear you,” Harry supplied unhelpfully.  
  
Elle turned and glared at him, as he lied leisurely on top of one of the benches. She felt like slapping him. “Right, and you’re helping SO much by sitting there doing nothing.”  
  
Harry shrugged. “Well, it’s better than making a fool of myself shouting to no one.”  
  
Elle groaned. “Come on, you _said_  shouting for help was the only thing we could do. I’m just doing what you told me.”  
  
“Oh, and since when do you ever listen to me? The way you act when I speak to you now, it’s as if I don’t even exist…”  
  
Elle scoffed. “Yeah, like that’s such a hard thing to fathom, especially when you’re never home!”  
  
“Well, with a wife like you, who would ever want to come home?”  
  
“With a husband like you, who would ever want to keep on living?”  
  
“Oh, so you’d rather choose death than have to stay married to me?”  
  
“ _Anything’s_  better than having to stay married to you!”  
  
There was a ringing silence as they both stood there, shooting daggers at each other with their eyes. Harry had sprung up from the bench, his whole body shaking in anger and his fist clenched tightly around his wand. Elle was facing him with her arms crossed over her chest, her face red with rage and her eyes flashing with spite.  
  
For a moment, neither of them said anything, and the empty courtroom was filled with an aura of intense loathing.  
  
Finally, Elle sighed. “Look, we’re getting nowhere,” she said reasonably. “Obviously, no one’s going to be able to hear us. We just have to calm down, and come up with a plan…”  
  
“Let me take custody of Calla,” Harry said suddenly, interrupting Elle out of her lecture.  
  
Elle stared at him, her eyes wide. “What?” she gasped, looking at Harry as if he had lost his mind. “Are you insane? There’s no way I’d let you take custody of her.”  
  
“Why not?” Harry asked, his face determined and his tone defensive. “I’m quite capable of taking care of her. I’m her father, aren’t I?”  
  
“As far as I know,” Elle replied, rolling her eyes. “But seriously, Harry, how could you even consider such a thing? You’re at work every hour of the day, doing the most dangerous job in the world no less, and you barely know your own daughter at all! If you can stand there right now and recite to me her favorite color, favorite food, and favorite Quidditch team, then I’ll give you a thousand galleons.”  
  
Harry opened his mouth to retort, but then quickly closed it again in shame. Elle was right…he hated to admit it, but he barely knew anything about Calla. Was this really the price of risking his life every day to protect her?  
  
“Look Elle, I just…I know it sounds stupid to you, but I really want to be able to spend time with her, and get to know her…”  
  
“Well, you should have thought of that before becoming attached to your work,” Elle snapped, not letting him finish. “By the way, Ron’s got her obsessed with the Chudley Cannons, I cook her Chicken Parmesan almost every other night, and her favorite color is green.”  
  
Harry didn’t know what to say. He was very relieved that his daughter’s favorite color wasn’t pink, like Elle’s, but he was still blown away by the fact that he knew so little about the spunky, smart girl that Calla was growing up to be. How had he allowed himself to become this distant from his family? Before he knew it, he found himself sinking back down onto the bench, his head buried in his hands. Elle gave him an odd look.  
  
“Why so upset?” she asked curiously, walking over to him. Her heels made an unsettling clacking sound against the hard tile. “You must have been expecting this. At least now you understand exactly why I made the decision to quit.”  
  
Harry shot her a dirty look. “You could have at least discussed it with me first. But no…instead you decided to break the news right in the middle of the annual banquet, just as they were announcing my promotion to the Head of Auror office. I don’t think I’ve ever been so humiliated or shocked in my entire life.”  
  
Elle rolled her eyes. “Yeah…well…that’s me. I’m an unpredictable embarrassment. It’s just your misfortune that you didn’t realize that sooner, and it’s my misfortune that I didn’t realize how much of a controlling, career-addicted jerk you are sooner.”  
  
Harry sighed. “How did we get like this?” he groaned. Though he wasn’t exactly talking to her, Elle responded.  
  
“Well, I think it all started when you thought it would be a good idea to lie to me,” she explained, sitting down on the edge of the bench right next to him. Harry scooted away from her.  
  
“I didn’t lie to you!” he protested angrily. “Besides, even if I did, it was probably for your own good.”  
  
Elle shook her head. “I don’t see how this particular lie can be for my own good,” she said quietly.  
  
Harry looked to her in exasperation. “What was it, then?”  
  
Elle laughed humorlessly. “See? There are so many lies that even you can’t remember them all.”  
  
Harry let out a cry of frustration. “Will you just  _tell_  me? Which was the single, bloody, so-called lie that finally completed your transformation into super bitch?”  
  
“The one where you told me that Bellatrix Lestrange was dead.”  
  
Harry was stunned. He didn’t know what he had been expecting…accusations of affairs, maybe…but definitely not this.  
  
“Oh,” was all he could say. “That lie. I thought…”  
  
“You thought what? That I was going to yell at you for cheating on me? Please, Harry. I was mad before when I screamed about the witches riding on the back of your broomstick every night. Do you honestly think I expect for any other woman to put up with you for more than a few hours? I mean, I know you’re the ‘famous’ Harry Potter and all, but come on…you have practically no personality, not to mention zero romance skills,” Elle said, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder.  
  
Harry thought this was a little unfair.  
  
“As long as we’re on the subject of cheating, I have a question to ask you,  _darling_ ,” Harry said sarcastically, skillfully avoiding the Bellatrix Lestrange topic.  
  
Elle wrinkled her nose at the term. “Don’t think I’m going to let you change the subject. But what’s your question?”  
  
Harry braced himself for the onslaught of verbal violence. “You and Draco Malfoy.”  
  
Elle was silent for a few moments, before letting out a sigh. “First of all, smartass, that wasn’t a question. Second of all, are you out of your deranged mind? There is  _nothing_  going on between us. I mean, come on, he just came back from America two weeks ago! Besides, you owe me an explanation for lying to me about Bellatrix.”  
  
Harry ran a hand through his ruffled hair. Their number one mission for years had been to find and murder Bellatrix Lestrange, the ex-Death Eater who was still at large. She never ceased to bother Harry and his family, was constantly making death threats and trying to resurrect her Master, and would never stay in Azkaban for more than a couple of days. Unfortunately, they had never been able to successfully capture her either. Which was very bad, because Bellatrix’s last threat (made a couple of months before Elle quit her job) was to kidnap and kill Calla, in order to get revenge on Harry and Elle.  
  
Of course, the Potters had been devastated by this news, and were ready and willing to do everything they could to protect their daughter. All the Aurors had been put on alert, and a massive search party went out that lasted a whole week. Elle became distraught and desperate, and was on the verge of hunting down and destroying Bellatrix all by herself when Harry, for some inexplicable reason that had made perfect sense to him at the time, sat her down and told her that Bellatrix had been found. Then, to her astonishment, he went on to tell his wife that the woman who had once attempted to kill her, and who was now attempting to kill their daughter, was finally dead.

Elle had been so relieved, and Harry had sounded so certain, that she never questioned it further. And when Elle had quit soon after, Harry felt no need to tell her the truth. Until now.  
  
After that, Harry had secretly devoted each and every day to finding Bellatrix. Eventually, after many failed attempts, the search had been called off, and when a couple of years had passed without so much as a peep from the vengeful woman, most of the Aurors had assumed that she was either dead, or had disappeared for good. Harry, on the other hand, knew that she was still alive and, as most had thought when Voldemort had first disappeared, was just biding her time. However, he still vowed not to tell Elle the truth, and as time grew on and the distance between them grew larger, that promise had become easier.

But somehow, Elle had found out…and now she deserved an explanation.  
  
“Fine,” Harry said at last, taking a shaky breath. “I’ll explain to you about why I lied…as long as you explain to me what’s going on with Malfoy. I know you were talking with him the other day. I know something’s up.”  
  
Elle swallowed. “Okay,” she agreed. “As long as you promise not to shout at me some more, and as long as you tell me  _everything_  that’s going on with Bellatrix.”  
  
Harry hesitated. There was no way he could tell her everything. But he had to compromise.  
  
“I’ll tell you everything I can,” he confirmed.  
  
Elle nodded. “Right,” she said. “Well, I guess I could start when Malfoy came to the house the other day, requesting my help…”  
  
 _A knock at the door startled the two of them, yet Calla had been the one to answer the door. Harry was at work, as usual, and Elle had just finished breakfast. She had been in the middle of telling Calla to go get dressed, for they were to travel to Diagon Alley that day in search of school supplies, when the young girl instantly got up from the table and dashed for the door. Elle, assuming it was Ron or Hermione coming to give her a message from Harry (her husband never corresponded with her directly these days), sighed, and resumed washing the dishes with the point of her finger._  
  
 _Once she was out of the kitchen, as well as out of earshot from her mother, Calla flung open the door. Squinting up at the morning sunlight, she tried to make out the tall figure standing on the doorstep._  
  
 _“Who are you?” Calla blurted out, before even asking the stranger’s name._  
  
 _The man looked down at her with both eyebrows raised. “I could ask you the same question,” he said briskly, giving her the once over._  
  
 _Calla drew herself up to her full height, and flipped her velvety black hair over her shoulder._

_“What are you doing here?” she asked, though she was filled with wondrous curiosity. She had never met someone before who did not know exactly who she was. It was one of the minor annoyances of having famous parents. “And what’s your name?”_   
  
_The man sneered at her. “I think it’s best if we don’t bother with names right now,” he said. He looked around stiffly, and appeared to be thinking hard. “Er…and I’m not sure I have the right address.”_   
  
_“Who are you looking for?” Calla asked, becoming more and more intrigued by the minute._   
  
_The man stared at her closely, and then something seemed to click within his brain. He straightened up and tried his best to smile, but it ended up coming out more like a smirk._   
  
_“Never mind,” he said quickly. “Listen little girl, is your mummy here by any chance?” he asked sourly._   
  
_Calla rolled her eyes. “My name is Calla,” she corrected. “I’m not exactly a little girl. And for your information I haven’t called my mother ‘mummy’ since I was six.”_   
  
_The man blinked. “And that was what, two days ago?”_   
  
_Calla sighed impatiently. “What do you want with my mum?” she asked. This seemed to anger the man a lot._   
  
_“Why does it matter?” he asked with a hiss. “Why do you have to be such a little brat?”_   
  
_Calla shrugged. “I think you should go away…”_   
  
_“Calla, what are you doing? Who’s at the door?” came Elle’s curious voice from inside the house._   
  
_Calla turned towards her mother, who was coming from the kitchen with a slight frown on her face._   
  
_“Some weird guy is here to see you,” she informed Elle._   
  
_Elle let out a deep breath and took Calla’s place beside the open door. “Can I help you?” she asked breathlessly, trying to see against the blinding light of the morning sun._   
  
_“Well, you could start by teaching your daughter some manners,” answered a voice she recognized immediately. Elle gasped, and nearly tripped over the threshold._   
  
_“Malfoy?”_   
  
_“Elle.”_   
  
_Elle stared at him with wide eyes as Calla looked between the two, confused._

_“What are you doing here?” Elle asked. “What do you want?”_  
  
 _“Well, well, well, like mother like daughter,” Malfoy smirked, stepping into the shade. “How touching. Listen, I need a favor.”_  
  
 _“What kind of favor?”_  
  
 _Malfoy hesitated, staring at Calla. “I think it would be best if we discussed this in private,” he muttered._  
  
 _Calla was narrowing her eyes suspiciously at Malfoy. “Shall I call dad?” she asked her mother._  
  
 _Malfoy shuddered. “No way,” he said. “Whatever you do, don’t get your father. The last thing I need right now is a snide remark from Potter.”_  
  
 _“No, what you need is a reality check,” Elle told him flatly, eyeing his ragged figure up and down. “You look like hell. And how do you work up the nerve to come to me after eleven years, without even so much as a letter, and automatically ask me for a favor? The answer is no. Get Ginny, your long lost love, to do it for you. Not me.”_  
  
 _Malfoy was smirking at her even more. “Oh, come now,” he said silkily. “Don’t be like this. Do you not remember all those precious moments we shared together? Stuck in detention? Locked up in a cell in Voldemort’s mansion? Driving recklessly through London at reckless speeds? Was all that for nothing?”_  
  
 _When Elle didn’t answer right away, Malfoy cleared his throat and looked away._  
  
 _“Besides,” he muttered. “I don’t think Ginny wants anything to do with me anymore.”_  
  
 _Elle frowned. “Why not?” she asked. And then, it hit her. “Oh.”_  
  
 _Elle felt sincerely guilty for forgetting. Of course, Ginny marrying a foreign wizard had only happened a year ago, but she still should have realized what this meant. Malfoy had never quite gotten over the forbidden Weasley, while it was plainly obvious that Ginny had moved on from her and Malfoy’s secret, almost-romance back in the days when Voldemort still reigned. Returning to London after all these years to seek out his one true love, only to find that she was married, had probably come as a complete shock to the somewhat reformed Slytherin._  
  
 _“Fine,” Elle sighed, feeling slightly more sympathetic than before. “What do you need help with?”_  
  
 _Malfoy shot Calla another look. “I don’t think she should see this,” he said seriously._  
  
 _Calla grew annoyed, and tried to push past Elle, but Elle wouldn’t budge._  
  
 _“Anything you say in front of my mum, you can say in front of me,” Calla told Malfoy._  
  
 _Malfoy hesitated, and looked up at Elle. “Trust me on this,” he said, almost pleadingly._  
  
 _Elle, despite herself, felt her cool demeanor vanish. Malfoy really looked like he was in trouble, and whatever it was, it must have been pretty bad for him to come to her, of all people, for help. Elle nodded, and turned towards Calla._  
  
 _“It’s okay,” she said softly. “I’ll only be a second. Go inside and finish getting ready, alright?”_  
  
 _Calla straightened up. She could take a hint. “Fine,” she said, a little sourly, striding away. “But I’m still owling dad and telling him who’s here.”_  
  
 _Malfoy glared at her, but Calla only smiled back innocently, disappearing down the hall. Elle shut the door, and followed Malfoy down the front walk._  
  
 _“You know, she’s a lot like you,” Malfoy told her, as they walked towards the street._  
  
 _Elle grinned. “I know,” she replied. “Disappointed?”_  
  
 _Malfoy shrugged. “I suppose it could be worse,” he muttered. “She could be a lot like Potter.”_  
  
 _“Okay,” Elle said, stopping in her tracks. “From this moment on, I want no more insults about my husband. Only I’m allowed to do that…”_  
  
 _But she stopped, after having glimpsed something odd. A black, gleaming Rolls Royce was parked about a block away, which certainly hadn’t been there before, and it took her a moment to realize that Malfoy was heading straight for it._  
  
 _“I didn’t know you drove a car,” she said, quite forgetting what she had just been lecturing about. “I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me where you’ve been?”_  
  
 _Malfoy didn’t look back. “America,” he responded shortly._  
  
 _Elle was confused. “So how come…”_  
  
 _She interrupted herself again just in time to let out a loud gasp. Malfoy had lead her just close enough to the car so that she could see inside the clear glass windows. But it wasn’t the vehicle itself that caused her so much shock. It was what lay inside, draped over the backseat. The body of a human, somebody she thankfully did not recognize. A body that was clearly…_  
  
 _Dead._  
  
 _“Malfoy,” she whispered dangerously, looking up at him with wide, almost fearful eyes. “What the HELL did you do?”_  
  
Elle looked up at Harry as soon as she was done with her reminiscence, only to find shocked, angry eyes looking back at her.  
  
“What?” he whispered, springing up from the bench. “Malfoy killed somebody, and you agreed to help him hide the body?”  
  
“Now wait a minute,” Elle said arguably, crossing her arms over her chest. “I never said he killed anyone. But yes, I did agree to help him.”  
  
“But why?” Harry asked, confused and furious beyond belief. “Why would he come to you? Why would you go along with such a thing? And what was he doing with that body, then, if he didn’t murder anyone?”  
  
It took all his self-control to keep from shouting- he had been so sure that Elle’s explanation would answer his questions, not add more. Although…he had to admit, he did feel a tiny sense of relief at the thought that at least Elle and Malfoy weren’t having an affair.  
  
Elle shrugged. “To tell you the truth, I’m not exactly sure what it was he did,” she admitted.  
  
Harry looked at her incredulously. “Are you kidding me? This guy’s got a dead body in the backseat of his car and you never asked how it got there? Did he pay you or something?”  
  
“Of course I asked!” Elle protested indignantly. “And no, I didn’t get paid, although that would’ve been nice. I just did what any good friend would do.”  
  
Harry snarled. “Since when are you and Malfoy such good friends? You haven’t even spoken with him for eleven years!”  
  
Elle’s expression wavered. “Look, I…I don’t exactly know why I did it, okay? He just looked like he could really use some help, and I didn’t have it in me to say no. All I wanted to do was prove to you that nothing else was going on between him and me. Even though I don’t see why’d you care if there was; I’m single now, I can do what I want.”  
  
Harry shook his head in aggravation. “Does Calla know about this?”  
  
Elle looked down. “No” she whispered. “Calla doesn’t know. Nobody knows.”  
  
Harry only continued to shake his head, dismayed. How could Elle be so stupid? Didn’t she realize that Malfoy probably was, as always, up to no good?  
  
“Somebody’s going to end up hurt, or in trouble from this, I guarantee it,” Harry said bitterly.  
  
Elle looked up again. “Well, that’s not really a concern of yours, is it?” she questioned harshly. “I’m not your wife anymore. I’m free to live my own life, and to help whomever I choose.”  
  
Harry sighed. She was right; there was nothing he could do to convince her otherwise.

“Fine,” he said nastily. “Do what you want. Get arrested. Get killed. See if I care.”  
  
Elle glared at him. “It’s your turn,” she muttered.  
  
Harry groaned.  _Where to begin?_  
  
“Well,” he said grudgingly. “I guess I could start on the night a couple of months before you quit…when I told you that Bellatrix was dead…”  
  
 _It was eight years ago, on a dark and drizzly night. Elle and Harry were twenty-one, and Calla was just three years old. Harry and Elle had qualified as Aurors only two years ago, but were already well esteemed and respected within the field. They had spent their first year doing desk and office work, but now they were starting to get sent on real missions, and Harry loved every minute of the job- the high intensity, the late night raids, the adrenaline rush, and, of course, the prestige that came along with the title. But he was beginning to get the feeling that Elle wasn’t enjoying her job as much as he was. She was always worrying about Calla, and doubting the capability of the daycare center where they left her every day._  
  
 _It wasn’t the same for Ron and Hermione; true, they had a young son that was two years younger than Calla, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were there to look after him. Harry was sure that Mrs. Weasley would take care of Calla as well, but Elle insisted she didn’t feel right about it. Kevin was Mrs. Weasley’s grandson, after all. It was an entirely different situation. And plus, work took up most of their time. They were gone not just days, but nights too. Elle didn’t want to be a burden to the Weasley’s, but at the same time, she was very uneasy about hiring babysitter after babysitter. Harry didn’t know how much longer Elle was going to keep fretting. And to make matters worse, now they had Bellatrix’s threat to worry about as well._  
  
 _Elle had left work early that day, and Harry came home late to find her on the couch, sobbing. Her hair hung around her in a faded yellow heap, and dark circles surrounded her eyes. The flat was silent, ensuring that Calla had already been put to bed. Harry sat down next to her, and took her hand. Elle looked up at him dreadfully._  
  
 _“Harry…” she whispered. “We have to do something. Bellatrix is after Calla…the search party is not enough, they’ll never be able to find her…”_  
  
 _“Elle, we’re doing all we can…”_  
  
 _“But it’s not enough!” she cried, jumping up and pacing around the room, sidestepping various toys and sippy cups that Calla had left lying around. “I don’t care what our ‘plan’ is, Harry, I am not letting that devil of a woman anywhere near our daughter!”_  
  
 _Harry looked at her closely. “Neither am I,” he assured her. “But what else do you plan to do about it?”_  
  
 _Elle looked at him, her gaze fierce._

_“I’m tracking her down myself,” she concluded. “I’ll travel to the ends of the earth, seek her out, and tear apart her flesh bit by bit if I have to, but I’m going to make sure she doesn’t touch a hair on Calla’s head!” She paused to take a breath, and looked at Harry expectantly. “So are you coming with me, or not?”_   
  
_“Elle, be serious, we can’t do that!” Harry protested, standing up. “Listen, I want to protect Calla as much as you do, but by going after Bellatrix we’d only be endangering ourselves! It’s best if we just stay here, and go along with the rest of the Aurors…”_   
  
_“No,” Elle interrupted darkly. “I don’t care what you say, Harry. I’m going. If you’re not going to help, you can stay home and watch Calla, but you cannot make me stay and wait around like an idiot for a psycho to come and murder my daughter.”_   
  
_Harry was taken aback. “And when exactly do you plan on leaving?”_   
  
_Elle took a deep breath, and straightened up. “Tonight,” she announced resolutely._   
  
_“What?” Harry cried incredulously. “Are you out of your mind?”_   
  
_Elle didn’t seem to be listening any longer. She was pointing her finger, and in an instant clothes and supplies were flying out of drawers from every room, and stuffing themselves into a large suitcase that was already lying at Elle’s feet. Harry realized that Elle must have been planning this for a while. Now, after the suitcase appeared to be full, Elle grabbed her wand, and was in the middle of making one last sweep about the house before Harry stepped in front of her and said_   
  
_“Stop.”_   
  
_Elle stared at him, eerily calm, with her hands on her hips. “Nothing can stop me from protecting my daughter,” she said. “And nothing you say will make me change my mind.”_   
  
_“What if I told you that Bellatrix Lestrange was already dead?”_   
  
_Harry didn’t know what made him say it. Maybe it was the terrified, yet purposeful look in Elle’s eyes at tracking down one of the most dangerous ex-Death Eaters in the world by herself, or maybe it was his own panic at letting Elle leave that drove this desperate lie, but nonetheless, what was said was said. And it certainly did the trick. Elle dropped her wand and sank, in confusion, back onto the couch._   
  
_“What?” she asked weakly. “How is that possible? Then why did you let me…how come you didn’t say anything sooner…”_   
  
_“I wasn’t supposed to tell you,” Harry said quickly, his tongue ignoring commands from his brain. “The Minister ordered us to keep it quiet.”_   
  
_This, hopefully, would make sense to Elle…after all, reports of Bellatrix’s numerous escapes were forbidden from the public. After Voldemort had been defeated, the new Minister had made it his job to wipe any traces of Voldemort’s reign out of people’s minds, in order to restore life to happier times, and he had been doing it well. Only the Aurors were aware of the existence of retired Death Eaters…and only the Aurors were aware of their deaths._   
  
_Elle still looked taken aback. “So you weren’t even going to tell ME?” she asked unbelievingly. “How could you let me believe that a woman threatening to kill my daughter was still alive?”_   
  
_“Well, you would’ve found out tomorrow anyway,” Harry said uneasily._   
  
_Elle shook her head. “You’re hiding something,” she told Harry suspiciously. “I can feel it. None of this makes sense.”_   
  
_Harry sighed. “I know it doesn’t,” he said softly. “But I promise you, Elle…Bellatrix is dead. The Dementors finally caught her, and performed the kiss before she managed to escape. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you as soon as I got home, but I guess I was waiting for the proper moment. I wanted the occasion to be more joyous.”_   
  
_Elle still appeared wary. “You swear you’re not lying?” she asked menacingly._   
  
_Harry swallowed, and crossed his fingers behind his back. “I would never lie to you.”_   
  
_Elle sighed, and was suddenly overcome with an intense wave of relief. “Good,” she whispered, placing a hand over her chest. “Thank goodness. I…I’m sorry for acting so rash, it’s just…I don’t know what I would do if something happened to Calla…”_   
  
_“Nothing’s going to happen to her,” Harry said resolutely. “I’ll always protect her…if it’s the last thing I do.”_   
  
_And right then and there, he made a silent vow to kill Bellatrix Lestrange himself. Tomorrow, he would tell the rest of the Aurors to keep this fact a secret from Elle. They wouldn’t dare question his judgment if he told them that he had a good reason. That way, he could carry on a search in secret…no need to make Elle worry. After all, he had destroyed Voldemort, how hard could it be to destroy Bellatrix? Elle would never have to find out the truth._   
  
_Elle smiled a little, and gave Harry a kiss. “I know,” she murmured, closing her eyes._   
  
_Harry gave her hand a squeeze. “Ready for work tomorrow?” he asked._   
  
_Elle thought for moment, and then shook her head. “No,” she said slowly. “I’m not going in. I think I’ll spend the day with Calla…I don’t really want to let her out of my sight right now.”_   
  
_Harry nodded, and Elle tilted her head._

_“Care to join us?” she asked. “You can take one day off, can’t you? I mean, now that our number one threat has finally disappeared?”_  
  
 _Harry immediately shook his head. “Can’t,” he said hastily. “There was a disturbance over in Kent this afternoon, and I promised I’d check it out tomorrow.”_  
  
 _Elle sighed. “Okay then” she said, standing up. “Well, I’m off to bed, I guess. Coming?”_  
  
 _Harry gave her a small smile. “I’ll be there in a minute,” he promised._  
  
 _She left the room, leaving a shaky sort of silence in her wake. Unknown to both of them, disaster had already been set in motion. Lies incapable of being rectified slithered about through the air like slippery snakes, and hidden emotions filled their hearts, leaving little room for forgiveness. Harry could not tell Elle that he wanted nothing more than to get rid of Bellatrix without her finding out, and Elle could not tell Harry that she wanted nothing more than to quit her job as an Auror. Things would only begin to get worse, until one day far in the future, when nothing would ever be the same again._  
  
“So…that’s it?” Elle asked, sounding angrier than ever.  
  
“Um…well…yeah,” Harry said, running a hand nervously through his hair. “What else do you want me to say?”  
  
“I want to know where Bellatrix is now! I want to know everything that you’ve been keeping secret from me! And I want to know why I had to marry such a lying, backstabbing idiot!” Elle shouted.  
  
“Hey, I told you I’d tell you _why_  I lied,” Harry reminded her, holding his hands up. “But there are reasons why I can’t tell you anything more. You could be a little more understanding. And, as I’ve said countless times before, you could be a little more trusting.”  
  
“Screw trust!” Elle practically screamed, tears in her eyes. “You’ve been abusing my trust for years! I deserve to know what’s happening!”  
  
“You lost your right to know anything the day you quit!” Harry yelled.  
  
“And you lost my trust and understanding the day you lied!” Elle exclaimed. “We should have told each other this stuff ages ago!”  
  
They locked eyes once more, breathing heavily. Nothing had been gained from their lengthy flashbacks except more questions, and now they were worse off than before. Elle knew Harry still wasn’t telling her something about Bellatrix, and Harry knew Elle still wasn’t telling him something about Malfoy. Thinking of this, however, Harry was raised with another question.  
  
“Hey…” he said slowly. “I know you’re ready to hex me into oblivion right now, but did you ever stop to think about how much a coincidence it is that Malfoy and Bellatrix both reappeared at the same time?”  
  
Elle narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”  
  
“Well…the day Calla owled me at the office to let me know about Malfoy visiting, was the same day I finally found Bellatrix.”  
  
Elle chewed on her lip. “And I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me where you found her?”  
  
Harry opened his mouth, but then stopped as a sudden noise reverberated throughout the desolate courtroom. It almost sounded like a cough, but it hadn’t come from him or Elle. Looking up, he scanned the rows of benches that lined the upper wall, when there came a muffled, but unmistakable sneeze.  
  
Harry stared at Elle in bewilderment, and Elle stared back.  
  
“What was that?” she whispered, her heart pounding.  
  
Harry gripped his wand.

“I don’t know,” he muttered. “But I don’t think we’re alone.”  
  



	3. The Betrayal

"What do you mean, we're not alone?" Elle asked, looking wildly around the room as though expecting an army to materialize from underneath the benches.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "I mean, unless these walls are enchanted with sound effects, or unless a ghost with a terribly bad cold found his way in, I think there's another person stuck in here with us."  
  
Elle looked somewhat disturbed by this notion. "But that's ridiculous, we would have seen..."  
  
A jet of red light shot out from the shadows, and hit her square in the chest. She fell backwards, and Harry jumped out of the way as another jet of red light came right towards him. Ducking down, he knelt next to Elle, but a voice rang out suddenly from the obscured upper corner of the room.  
  
"Don't move."  
  
Harry froze, but chanced a peek at Elle. Her eyes were closed, and she was obviously unconscious. Without sparing a thought as to how this immobile, quieter Elle was much more preferable to the outspoken, feistier one, Harry tried to catch a glimpse of the person who had spoken, but couldn't make out anything.  
  
"Who are you?" he demanded, his Auror skills kicking into overdrive. He withdrew his wand and pointed it steadily in the direction the voice had come from. "Lower your wand immediately! Show yourself!"  
  
"Calm down, Potter. Too many orders at once may cause an enemy to become...confused."  
  
And before Harry had time to register the voice, another jet of red light shot straight at him, and all became black.  
  


* * *

 

Calla sighed as she watched Kevin and Michael, two boys who were practically her brothers, prance around like lunatics on the floor of Ron and Hermione's guest bedroom. On normal days, she would have gladly joined in with their games, but today she was content just to lie down on the bed, carelessly drawing pictures and wishing the boys would calm down already…or better yet, just shut up.  
  
Kevin, the elder boy, pounced over to her and roared in her face. Apparently, him and his brother had just eaten an entire box of the "Actual Animal Crackers" they had bought from their Uncles' joke shop, and couldn't stop imitating the ferocious beasts of whose likeness they had consumed. It was very annoying.  
  
"Whatcha doin?" Kevin asked, his freckled expression curious, ignoring the disgusted look on Calla’s face as he peered down at her paper.  
  
"Nothing," Calla responded, holding her paper to her chest so that he couldn't see.  
  
"Come on, we're best friends, you can show me!" he cried indignantly, but at that moment Ron and Hermione came into the room and both boys turned towards their parents.  
  
"Mum, look at me!" Michael shouted as he shook his soft brown hair, crawling on the floor and snapping his jaws like a crocodile.  
  
“Charming, Michael,” Hermione sighed. "Please don't tell me you actually gave him those," she asked in exasperation, turning to Ron.  
  
"What? They're harmless," Ron answered, grinning innocently. "Very good, Michael. Just don't bite your brother."  
  
"He can't bite me!" Kevin exclaimed, jumping away from Calla in a blaze of red hair and growling at Michael, who instantly forgot about his supposedly sharp teeth and resorted to sticking out his tongue.  
  
"Boys!" Hermione said sharply, stepping between them to avoid a wrestling match.  
  
"Hey, Calla, what are you up to?" Ron asked with a grin, walking over to his best friend's daughter. "You been keeping an eye on these two beasts for me? You know I always give you full permission to beat them up."  
  
"Hey!" Kevin and Michael both shouted in unison from the floor. “She’s a girl!”  
  
Calla laughed, and she addressed Ron. “I don’t think so. Their brains and faces are already damaged enough as it is, and I’d hate to make them worse.”  
  
"Fair enough,” Ron grinned. “Cool drawing, though," he continued, looking over at the picture she had been mindlessly doodling. "I swear I don't know where you get this artistic talent. Definitely not from your dad...what do you call this, anyway?"  
  
Calla followed Ron's bewildered gaze to the paper. It was a picture of a man and woman with a harsh lightning bolt separating them. Black clouds covered the background and obscured the faces, and all the way in the very bottom corner was a miniscule replica of a girl with long, dark hair. Hers was the only face that could be seen, but there was a frown on it. Needless to say, it wasn't a very cheerful scene.  
  
"Family," Calla said at last, looking at Ron with a straight face.  
  
Hermione looked at the drawing, and sighed. "Ron, why don't you put these monsters to bed?" she suggested. "I'll help Calla get settled."  
  
Ron nodded and stood up. The boys traipsed after him, still roaring and baring their teeth. Once the room was quiet, Hermione sat down on the edge of Calla's bed.  
  
"Calla, I know things have been tough lately," she began kindly. "But your parents love you...you know that, right?"  
  
"I know," said Calla softly, trying not to sound bitter. "They just don't love each other."  
  
Hermione hesitated. "Well...maybe not anymore. But they did once, and they will always love you. No matter what happens."  
  
Calla nodded, trying hard not to cry. The truth was, this whole divorce bothered her a lot more than she would let on, but she hated appearing vulnerable and weak. She wanted to look tough, and maybe, if she kept pretending for a while, she really wouldn't care about her family splitting up.  
  
Hermione saw her face, and seemed to understand, which Calla was grateful for. Calla loved Hermione, but she missed her mother, and especially her father. Back when they were still happy, they would always do things together...her dad could always manage to spark a playful argument with her mother, and her mother could always manage to make her dad laugh. But now, all they did was fight.  
  
"Thanks Hermione," Calla said after a while. "I think I'll go to bed now."  
  
"Okay," Hermione said, standing up and tucking her hair behind her ears. "Is there I anything I can get for you?”  
  
"I'm fine," Calla replied hurriedly. "But do you think it's okay if I send a quick letter to my mum? I just have a weird feeling that something's wrong."  
  
Hermione nodded, but looked at her oddly. "Of course, I'll go get Pig. But I'm sure she's fine. You have nothing to worry about.”  
  
Calla sighed. Then why did she have this uneasy feeling that wouldn't seem to go away?  
  


* * *

 

The room was pitch black. Elle stirred, unaware as to what was going on, or where she was. Wondering vaguely what time it was, or even if it was still the same day, she opened her eyes and was met with nothing but blackness. Craning her neck, she tried to move, but found that she was tightly tied up with ropes. Sighing in exasperation, Elle closed her eyes again.  
  
"Harry?" she called croakily.  
  
"I'm here," he mumbled distinctly in reply from right behind her.  
  
The two were tied up together, back to back, the ropes digging so tightly into their skins that angry red welts were sure to be left behind. With their arms pinned to their sides and their shoulders erect, Elle thought it was safe to say that they were in a far worse position now than they were when the night had started off.  
  
"What happened?" Elle asked, opening her eyes again and straining to see through the thick veil of darkness.  
  
"We got stunned," Harry muttered dryly. Elle rolled her eyes, though Harry couldn't see her.  
  
"I'm aware of that, genius," she replied hotly. "But who did it? And why? And where are we now?"  
  
"I don't know who did it," Harry told her, exasperated. "But I think we're still in the courtroom. Listen, can you try moving just a little? Your back is way too bony, and it's kind of uncomfortable."  
  
Elle gave an undetectable glare. "No, for your information, I cannot move an inch. Besides, I'm the one who should be complaining. Could your back get any thicker? I swear your shoulders are going to crush my spine."  
  
Harry groaned. "This is all your fault," he grumbled.  
  
"All my fault?" Elle asked, enraged. "I'm not the one who sat around like an idiot while I tried my hardest to get us out of here."  
  
"Yeah, well I'm not the one who got us stuck in the first place!" Harry shot back. "Any moron should have known not to slam the door..."  
  
"Well, if you hadn't lied to me, maybe we wouldn't even have to be here in the first place!"  
  
"If you had just trusted me, I wouldn't have had to lie to you!"  
  
"Oh, don't start that again..."  
  
 _"Shut up!"_  
  
The two bickering adults fell into silence, but both pairs of eyes darted around the blackened room, each trying to detect a small note that could tell them where they were or who was holding them captive. Elle thought the voice sounded vaguely familiar, but due to her disoriented state she couldn't quite place it. Wondering if it was safe to say anything, she opened her mouth, but was saved the risk of asking panicked questions by Harry beating her to the punch.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
To both their surprise, this latest response was more straightforward than the previous, cryptic bullying. Also, his voice was a lot more sharper, more distinct, and, of course, disturbingly familiar...  
  
"Well, well, Potter, I'm surprised you haven't recognized my voice by now. Surely eleven years hasn't erased me from your memory completely? And even if it has...I know for a fact that your wife knows who I am, seeing as how she so dutifully described our latest meeting to you in excellent detail."  
  
Harry and Elle were both rendered speechless as the presence of Draco Malfoy emerged from the shadows. Well aware of the change in atmosphere, Malfoy produced a wand from inside his robes and lit it, showering light on his captives’ pale faces.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," he continued, a little smirk snaking its way across his thin, pale lips. "I meant ex-wife."  
  
He turned to Elle. "Fantastic flashback by the way, I really enjoyed it. Excellent recount. It's so nice to see how things stay private around here."  
  
Elle frowned. "Draco?"  
  
Harry frowned. "Malfoy?"  
  
"Correct!" Draco Malfoy stated calmly, looking at both of them with a superior gaze. "And to think, you were just talking about me. Miraculous coincidence, is it not?"  
  
Elle looked at him as though he had lost his mind. "For Merlin’s sake Draco, talk about dramatic. You couldn't have made your presence known earlier? What's with the creepy psycho killer routine?"  
  
Harry sighed. Elle might be relieved, but Harry was in no mood to handle this lightly. Tonight was rapidly becoming the very worst night of his entire life, and Malfoy was the last person he wanted to see at the moment. He had no idea what he was doing here, or how much he had heard, but right now Harry wanted him gone. He scanned the floor, looking for his wand, which he had managed to misplace once again.  
  
"Malfoy, I don't know what the hell you're playing at, but you need to get rid of these ropes now!" Harry yelled. "I mean it!" he added, when Malfoy made no sign of wanting to help them.  
  
"Temper, temper," Malfoy pretended to scold. "What could be causing this sudden rise of anger? Could it be the fact that your moronic actions over the last eleven years have caused you to lose your wife and daughter? Or is it the fact that you've just learned how your dearly beloved chooses to help me instead of trusting her former husband?"  
  
Harry's blood boiled with fury. "What are you doing here?" he shouted. "What do you want from us?"  
  
"Draco," Elle said slowly, taking a deep breath. "Just get rid of these ropes. We can talk later, after we've found a way out of this courtroom..."  
  
"Not everyone likes to talk as much as you do, Miss Levine," Malfoy said, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "Except, of course, for young Calla. I hear she is quite the chatterbox."  
  
Harry narrowed his eyes. Something was very wrong.  
  
"What has Calla got to do with anything?" he spat.  
  
Malfoy raised his eyebrows. "Well what do you know, he remembers her name. From what your ex-wife tells me, you never even see your daughter anymore. Why should you care?"  
  
Harry looked at Elle. "What in the name of Merlin have you been telling him?" he raged at her.  
  
"Nothing!" Elle insisted. "I was telling the truth. All I did was help him with that one favor, and even if I did happen to complain about my troubles with you afterwards, then that's not his fault! Besides, YOU'RE the one who's been keeping things from me..."  
  
"For a good reason! And what reason do you have for getting involved with him? Look at what's happened, he's gone and betrayed your trust, and is now probably waiting to kill us and deliver our bodies to some deranged, retired Death Eater!"  
  
Elle forced an uncomfortable laugh. "No way. Even HE'S not that cruel and unimaginative. Right?" she asked, looking at Malfoy.  
  
Malfoy looked thoughtful. "Amazingly, Potter's actually right. I have betrayed you. And I am, with help, going to kill you. Both of you. Tonight."  
  
There was a shocked silence, until Elle scoffed and hoisted herself up with her elbows.  
  
"Right," she said, amused. "Good one. Now come on Draco, these ropes are starting to hurt."  
  
Malfoy looked at her in disbelief. "My God, you really are stupid aren't you? Even when treachery and murder are staring you right in the face, you still cling to the delusion that everything is all fun and games." He turned to Harry. "No wonder you became attached to your work."  
  
Elle fell silent and glanced down, hurt and humiliated. Harry tried to stare at her, but it was impossible without twisting his neck. Instead, he swiveled to gaze at Malfoy.  
  
"Listen Malfoy, I know we're not the best of friends, but what exactly is going on? Can we just be rational for a second and get some things cleared up? Why have you come back, why did you request Elle's help in hiding a dead body, and why now do you want to kill us? What happened to being our ally, and a part of the Order of the Phoenix?" Harry questioned seriously.  
  
"Malfoy," Elle whispered, her face now white. "Where's Calla?"  
  
Malfoy smirked but addressed Harry first. "I will humbly answer all your questions, my bespectacled rival," he replied grimly. “But, about Calla...I don't think you have to worry about her. Your precious child, in exchange for a reprieve of her own death, will be given the chance to assist me in my plans. If I am successful, her life shall be spared and she will spend the remainder of it under my Mistress' charge and care. She's off to a great start, as it was she who told me you two would be here this evening after I sent an owl to your flat last week. It was late, so she took the liberty of answering it without bothering you two."  
  
Elle groaned. "You've been planning this all along, haven't you? Was it you who took my sunglasses?"  
  
"Levitated them right off your head, as I did with Potter's wand right out of his pocket," Malfoy nodded. "It wasn't difficult...divorce appears to be enormously distracting. Besides, I am well aware that material possessions mean a great deal to you," he continued, looking at Elle.  
  
"Not as much as my own daughter," Elle said dryly, but with a definite edge to her voice. "I don't care what you're planning to do with us, but you leave Calla out of it! She doesn't deserve this. And she would never help you anyway!"  
  
"Yeah," Harry added. "Calla may be young, but she's not dumb enough to have anything to do with you. Unlike some people," he said, glaring at Elle significantly.  
  
Elle swallowed, and tried to shake the blonde hair that was hanging limply in front of her face.  
  
"Wanting to help a former friend does not make me dumb," she stated flatly. "And besides, even if Calla did feel the need to follow my example, she would never partake in something that involved the murder of her own parents."  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you," Malfoy said in defense. "Children take the separation of their parents very hard these days, and I'm sure Calla has been looking for a way to retaliate. I think that with just a little persuading, she will be very accommodating indeed."  
  
"Wait a second..." said Harry, his heart racing. "Who exactly is your 'mistress'?"  
  
Malfoy beamed. "I was hoping you would ask that.” He turned around, and raised his wand in the direction of the obscured benches. “Bellatrix?"  
  
It was at that moment that Elle screamed, because Bellatrix Lestrange emerged from the shadows, looking very (Harry noted bitterly)…alive.  
  
Sneering, she pulled off an old Invisibility Cloak, holding a dagger in one hand and a wand in the other, and wearing an awful smirk that suggested only the deepest traces of bloodthirsty revenge.  
  
“You’ve done well, Draco,” Bellatrix said softly, her heavyset black eyes boring into Harry’s face. “I am glad to see you’ve had no trouble capturing them.”  
  
“Nah,” Draco shrugged. “I thought I’d have a hard time of it when you told me to drive them apart from each other, but surprisingly, turning them against each other was the easiest bit of all.”  
  
Bellatrix smiled. “Who knew? After all these years, my Master still stands correct,” she said, and her words burned black and mutinous. “Love really is worthless.”  
  
Harry swallowed hard. He didn’t know about Elle, but hearing those words, on top of everything else that had happened this evening, stung him the most.  
  
Wordlessly, he tried to convey a message to Elle, but he knew it was too late. They really were trapped now, and even if he could communicate with her, Harry felt that Elle would no longer be truly willing to understand anything he had to say. They were tied together in hatred, devoid of the only weapon that would unite them in defeating Bellatrix and Malfoy, and there was absolutely no way out.  
  


* * *

 

Calla awoke from her nightmare with a start. Shivering, she clutched the covers around her and stared at the dark, shadowy walls of the unfamiliar bedroom. She hated having nightmares...they seemed to happen to her all the time, and they always seemed so jarringly  _real_.  
  
She had dreamt about her parents. Which wasn't really unusual, seeing as how their conflicts had basically become her whole life lately. But this time, things were different...her mother had sounded scared, her father had sounded angry, and there was another voice too...one that she had just recently grown accustomed to hearing, although he always seemed to be in hushed conversation with her mum. And in the dream, they appeared to still be in the Ministry of Magic courtroom. But how could that be? They had left that place hours ago, hadn't they? But then...why had her letter never been answered? The last time she checked before she went to sleep, Pig hadn't returned.  
  
Calla threw back the covers and stood up. Something was not right. Silently, she tiptoed over the moonlit carpet and out into the hall. The whole house was silent- Ron and Hermione must have gone to bed, as well as Kevin and Michael. For a second Calla considered checking the time, but it was impossible. She didn't have a watch, and Ron and Hermione's clock didn't exactly tell time. Instead, there were four hands with each member of the family's names on it, and right now they were all pointing to "home." Calla wished she had a clock like that...then she would be able to know exactly where her parents were.  
  
Swallowing hard and bracing herself for what she was about to do, Calla went back to her bedroom and retrieved the knapsack that contained her father's old invisibility cloak. Then, she quietly stole back into the hallway and, as she passed their room, briefly considered waking Kevin and asking him to come with her. However, she ignored the temptation and entered the living room, approaching the broad and regal fireplace. But before she could get her hands on the jar of glittering Floo Powder that stood on the mantelpiece, she rummaged around in some drawers for a quill and a piece of parchment and left a note, knowing full well that if Hermione and Ron woke up to find her missing, they would freak out.  
  
 _Dear Hermione and Ron,  
Don't worry, I'm fine. I've gone to check on my mum, because I got worried when Pig never came back. If you find this before I return, then know that I'm sorry for not waking you, but I didn't want to bother anyone. _  
  
 _See you soon,_  
Calla Potter  
  
Calla stared at her signature for a moment, before changing her mind and crossing out her last name, leaving it signed simply "Calla." She didn't know why, but for some reason the name didn't feel to belong to her tonight. It was what connected her to her family, after all...but what family did she have left to be a part of?  
  
Without any further ado, she threw the cloak over her nightgown and lit a fire using a handy little spell that Hermione had shown her for producing flames without a wand. Then, she tossed away some powder, whispered her destination, and in the next instant, had vanished.  
  



	4. The Escape

Elle bit her lip, thinking hard, which was difficult already when you considered the fact that both the murderous eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange and Draco Malfoy were boring into the back of her skull, and even though he couldn’t look at her, she knew that Harry would give anything to rack her brain. It was definitely his fault that they had gotten into this mess, but now it was up to her to get them out of it. If only she could think of an idea…  
  
Sighing dramatically, she tried to flip her hair, and ended up twisting her neck instead. Flexing her tied hands, she cleared her throat, and spoke, with eyes fixed determinedly on the wall in front of her.  
  
“This is all your fault, Harry!” she screamed, attempting to sound as annoying as she possibly could. “I will never, ever forgive you!”  
  
Harry, eyes fixed in the opposite direction, couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was Elle serious, or had she finally lost it for good?  
  
“Uh…Elle, as much as I would like to explain to you how this is obviously YOUR fault, do you really think this is the right time?” Harry asked hesitantly, keeping a close eye on Bellatrix and Malfoy, while at the same time rubbing his hands together in order to loosen the ropes.  
  
“I think this is the perfect time!” Elle cried even more loudly. She laughed madly. “I mean, we’re going to die soon anyway, right? What better time to lay all our cards out on the table than right now?”  
  
“Silence!” Bellatrix began to exclaim, but Harry cut across her with an exasperated sigh.  
  
“Alright, you want to get everything out in the open?” Harry asked in aggravation. “How about I think you’re a raving lunatic?”  
  
Elle tried her hardest not to grin. Harry was playing along perfectly.  
  
“Oh, I’m a raving lunatic, am I?” Elle fired back hotly, holding in her anticipation. “As opposed to some career-driven, deranged freak like you?”  
  
Harry narrowed his eyes. Elle’s insults sounded a little _too_  forced. What was she playing at?  
  
“At least I’m not an untrustworthy…uh…slut!” he shouted back quickly, instantly hating himself. He had never called Elle a slut before, but if she was doing what he thought she was doing, then she wouldn’t exactly mind.   
  
“Oh, okay, says the untrustworthy, lying creep!” Elle retorted, trying to hide the delight from her voice. Harry would never, no matter how mad he ever got at her, call her a slut. This had to mean that he had somehow caught on to her plan.  
  
“That’s it!” Harry roared. “Malfoy, give me your wand!”  
  
“What?” Malfoy asked, sounding taken aback, and losing his edge for a moment. “Why?”  
  
“Because you can forget about getting Calla to do us in,” he explained heatedly. “I’ll hex my idiot wife myself. You can at least let me have that one satisfaction before cursing me into oblivion, can’t you?”  
  
Malfoy narrowed his eyes. “Now Potter,” he stated suspiciously. “I know you already think I’m a fool, but how brain damaged do you honestly think I am…”  
  
“Do it!” Elle screamed suddenly, so forcefully that both Malfoy and Harry flinched. “Let him kill me! I’d like to see what happens to him after that…how he can stand to live with himself…”  
  
“Do it, Draco,” Bellatrix said suddenly, an evil gleam in her eye. Her black eyes glittered as she fingered her wand, her hair spilling madly over her ragged black dress. “I’m curious to see if he has it in him.”  
  
“Yeah Draco,” Elle said, in a mockingly sweet tone. “Listen to auntie Bellatrix.”  
  
With a furious gaze, Malfoy surrendered his wand to Harry. With a flick of her own wand, Bellatrix loosened the ropes around Harry and Elle. The two of them stood up and faced each other; Harry was holding Malfoy’s wand out in front of him with a steady gaze. Elle stared at her ex-husband, breathing heavily all of a sudden. Malfoy and Bellatrix were silent, watching them with bated breath.  
  
Harry gritted his teeth and glared at Elle.

“This is for everything you’ve done,” he whispered menacingly, holding the wand tightly with one hand, and rubbing his sweaty palm against his jeans with the other. “For not trusting me. For trying to steal my daughter away. For ruining my life.”  
  
Elle glared back. “Stop talking,” she whispered back, just as chillingly. Her blonde hair shone extra brightly against her dark blue sundress, as if it were crackling with electricity. “Just do it. Kill me.”  
  
Her words were like ice slicing through Harry’s heart. They gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment, and for a few seconds it felt like they had traveled back in time ten years, to the days when they were still happy, still in love, still a family.

Elle held Harry’s stare and gave a slight, almost imperceptible, nod. Harry raised the wand and Elle closed her eyes, bracing herself.  
  
“REDUCTO!”  
  
The wall behind Bellatrix blasted apart and she gave a sharp yell of surprise, falling backwards against the explosion. Heavy slabs of concrete rained down upon her. Elle took advantage of the witch’s distraction to raise a hand and yell furiously, “EXPELLIARMUS!”  
  
Bellatrix, who had been attempting to get back on her feet, was thrown to the floor once more, and her wand came soaring over to Elle. Elle caught it with outstretched fingers.   
  
“THAT’S for threatening my daughter!” Elle cried.  
  
Harry grabbed her hand. “Let’s go!” he shouted.  
  
They both dashed across the courtroom to the door on the other side. Elle let out a groan as she reached the handle and yanked it, falling against the heavy door.  
  
“Harry, the door is still locked!” Elle exclaimed desperately.  
  
“Stand back!” Harry commanded. Fire burst from Malfoy’s wand and burned a large hole through the door. Harry climbed through and turned around to help Elle out. Elle pushed his hand away and climbed out herself.  
  
“Why didn’t we just do that in the first place?” Elle asked, slipping out of her shoes as they ran through the abandoned corridor, past all the other empty courtrooms. Elle instantly regretted being barefoot as her feet slammed against the freezing cold stone, but there was no way she would have been able to run in those heels.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. “Yeah, like I really want the Ministry sending me a bill for damaged property.”  
  
Elle rolled her eyes too. “Cheapskate,” she muttered. “Hey wait, I left my sunglasses….”  
  
“Forget about your stupid sunglasses!”  
  
They made it to the atrium and Harry and Elle both stopped in front of the fountain. Elle bent over, trying to catch her breath. She was way out of shape…after all, she hadn’t been an Auror for a very long time. Harry, who was more used to these sorts of excursions, raised Malfoy’s wand and peered slowly around the darkened atrium.  
  
The only sound that could be heard was the trickling of water coming from the fountain. The golden lifts were stationary, and the floating symbols on the walls passed silently overhead, throwing intermittent waves of light onto the wood floor.  
  
“Okay,” Harry said, trying to stay calm. “Here’s what we need to do. We need to lay low until we can alert the other Aurors and then send out a team to track Bellatrix and Malfoy down…”  
  
Elle stood upright again, tucking her hair behind her ears. “Just because you’re Head Auror doesn’t mean I have to listen to you!” she shot at him. “We have to get to Calla! Bellatrix is going to find her, we have to go now!”  
  
“And what do you propose we do, Elle? What if she kills us? We have to go get backup…”  
  
“But the other Aurors aren’t even here yet, that could take ages!”  
  
Harry opened his mouth to reason with her, but the sound of hurried footsteps running through the halls distracted him. Harry turned away from Elle just in time to see Malfoy come into view, his hair disheveled and his black suit covered in powdery white dust.  
  
“Stay where you are!” Harry ordered, pointing Malfoy’s own wand at him.  
  
Malfoy froze, but held up his hands in surrender.

“It’s okay!” he said. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you.”  
  
Harry narrowed his eyes. “Where’s Bellatrix?” he asked. Elle stared at Malfoy with an uneasy expression.  
  
“Immobilized,” Malfoy panted. “For now. But the curse won’t last long, you two have got to get out of here, and quickly!”  
  
“Wait,” Elle said slowly, staring at Malfoy as if he had gone mad. “What are you talking about? You told us you were going to kill us in there. You stunned us and tied us up. You said you were helping Bellatrix.”  
  
“Yes,” Malfoy said softly. “It’s true, I said all those things. But I had to. Trust me, I don’t really want you dead. I don’t care about you two enough to want you dead. It’s Bellatrix...she broke out of Azkaban again, and came to find me, and…sort of forced me to help her.”  
  
Harry narrowed his eyes. “Why should we believe you?” he asked darkly.  
  
Malfoy reached into his pocket and pulled out both Harry and Elle’s wands. “Here,” he said, tossing them both to their respective owners.  
  
Harry caught his wand, but still held tightly onto Malfoy’s. Elle might be quick to trust Malfoy, but he wasn’t.  
  
“Prove that you’re not lying,” Harry demanded. “How do we know Bellatrix isn’t right behind you, waiting for the opportune moment?”  
  
Malfoy raised his eyebrows and glanced behind him. Elle lit the tip of her wand and shined a light down the hallway. There was nobody there.  
  
“Harry,” Elle sighed, biting her lip. “He’s telling the truth. Come on, we better get going before Bellatrix wakes up.” She gazed at Malfoy. “You know,” she told him casually. “You’d make an incredible actor.”  
  
Malfoy smirked. “I’ll keep that in mind.”  
  
Harry was growing more furious by the minute. First Elle helps Malfoy hide a dead body, then she lets him stun her and tie her up, and now they were swapping inside jokes? What was  _wrong_  with her?  
  
“Sorry to interrupt,” Harry muttered. “But I’d still like an explanation.”  
  
Malfoy sighed. “Are you serious Potter? We’re running out of time…”  
  
“I don’t care!” Harry roared. “What is going on between you and Bellatrix? Unless you want to spend the rest of your life in Azkaban, I suggest you start talking.”  
  
Elle bit her lip and tossed her hair over shoulder. She sat down on the edge of the fountain and began massaging her feet.  
  
“You probably should just tell us,” Elle advised Malfoy. “You don’t want to make Harry go ballistic; it isn’t pretty. He’s like the Hulk. Don’t you remember when I turned his dormitory pink once? He practically turned green and ripped his shirt off…”  
  
Harry closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Malfoy took a deep breath.  
  
“Fine,” he said. “Since you’re so fond of flashbacks, I’ll tell you how we got involved…”  
  
 _The pub that night was loud and packed- just the way Draco liked it. The dense humidity that filled the Florida night air had driven most of the crowds indoors, and now bodies were packed into every corner of the bar like sardines. Lately Draco had been frequenting quiet, out-of-the-way joints…places where he could nurse a beer and think in peace. But tonight, he craved the anonymity of the lively inn._  
  
 _Draco sauntered up to the muggle bartender and slammed down a few dollar bills. If only his father could see where he was right now. If only he could see his son mingling among this muggle filth…he would be rolling in his grave…_  
  
 _“I’ll have a vodka tonic,” Draco ordered. The bartender handed him his glass, and Draco knocked the liquor down his throat, traipsing over to the wall on the far side of the room. Usually he preferred the burning taste of firewhiskey, but this would certainly do for tonight. After living in America for several years, seeking refuge from his past life and all the horrors that had come with it, he found himself becoming increasingly suited to muggle tastes._  
  
 _And Florida had certainly been an excellent choice. Over the years he had apparated to many different states, never spending more than a few months in one place. He had been everywhere and seen everything; the sequins and feathers adorning the Las Vegas showgirls, the speeding cars zooming through the streets of New York City at all hours of the night, the majestic mountains rising up into the Colorado sky that reminded him so strongly of the caves where he had once tracked down a band of giants…_  
  
 _But Florida held a different sort of intrigue. The constant heat felt glorious after all those years in the cold, rainy climate of London, to be sure. But it wasn’t just the heat that captivated him…it was the women. The ladies here seemed to dress in nothing but shorts and bikinis, as if they had stepped right off the beach. Their hair hung long against their bare backs and their silky, oily legs seemed to go on for miles. It was enough to make Draco want to snap his wand in half and live the rest of his life as a muggle. It was almost enough to make him forget about Ginny._  
  
 _Draco finished his drink and made his way back to the bar, winking rakishly at several girls on the way. One particularly pretty brunette smiled at him coquettishly and ran a hand through her hair. Just like all the others, she was dressed in nothing but a pair of dark denim shorts and a light blue string bikini. Oh yeah- Draco could definitely get used to this._  
  
 _A seat opened at the bar and Draco slid into it, fishing some more muggle money out of his pocket. This time he ordered tequila, and after receiving his second drink of the night, raised the glass delicately to his lips._  
  
 _“Enjoying yourself?” came a voice whispering softly into his ear._  
  
 _Draco, expecting it to be the brunette he had been eyeing, lowered the glass and turned around. He immediately choked and spewed tequila all over the counter._  
  
 _Disgruntled exclamations rang out, and soon the barstools surrounding him emptied. Bellatrix’s eyes gleamed as she sat delicately into the vacated seat right beside him._  
  
 _“Hello Draco,” she purred. “Missed me?”_  
  
 _“Aunt Bella!” Draco exclaimed, already feeling lightheaded. He slammed his glass down and swung an arm around her shoulder. “Broke out of Azkaban again, have you? My, my, it’s been ages…sit, sit…let me buy you a drink…”_  
  
 _Bellatrix narrowed her eyes. “You are a disgrace,” she hissed. “Look at you. Mingling among this…this waste…besmirching the Malfoy name…if only your dear mother knew…”_  
  
 _Draco raised his eyebrows. “I’m a disgrace?” he asked in disbelief. “Look at you! You’re a wreck! Have you looked in a mirror lately?”_  
  
 _It was true- the years had not been kind to Bellatrix Lestrange. After years of being on the run from the Ministry, and numerous stints in prison, her legendary looks had finally vanished. Dark circles had formed under her heavily lidded eyes, and her teeth had been permanently stained yellow. Her long, wild hair was a tangled mess, and her clothes were torn and tattered._  
  
 _“We could rise again,” Bellatrix murmured to Draco. “We could become what we once were. With your help…”_  
  
 _“Oh please,” Malfoy spat. “You think killing Potter or his precious little daughter is going to solve all your problems? It’s not going to bring back your looks, or your fortune, or…or **You-Know-Who** …”_  
  
 _Bellatrix’s eyes gleamed red. “It is our duty to avenge him,” she insisted. “Even though you turned traitor, you still have a loyalty to your family.”_  
  
 _“What family?” Draco asked, downing the rest of his tequila and ordering another one. “Eleven years ago you locked me in a dungeon and tried to kill me. Is that what family does nowadays?”_  
  
 _Bellatrix tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I had to knock some sense into you somehow,” she said simply, without a hint of remorse. “But I can make it up to you…I can give you back your fortune…”_  
  
 _“Oh, so you stole that as well?” Draco sneered. “Should’ve known. Oh well. I’ve learnt to put the past behind me. Why don’t you just admit the real reason you’re here?”_  
  
 _Bellatrix narrowed her eyes. “I’m here because I need your help.”_  
  
 _“You’re here because I’m the only one left. Potter and his bloody Aurors have gotten rid of everyone else. The only one they haven’t captured yet is you.”_  
  
 _Bellatrix stood up._  
  
 _“I’m here because the girl trusts you. I’m here because you’re the one thing that’s bound to drive Potter and his wife apart. And I’m here because without me, you have nothing.”_  
  
 _Draco narrowed his eyes, regretting the fact that he wasn’t yet drunk enough to deal with this. Bellatrix smiled cruelly._  
  
 _“Face it, Draco- you have no friends, and no money. That blood traitor Weasley, who you cared so much for, is married now- to another man.”_  
  
 _Bellatrix watched Draco’s reaction closely, but he seemed to be momentarily stupefied._  
  
 _“I can change all that,” Bellatrix said softly. “Help me, and I’ll make you a man again. You can have your mansion, you can have your riches, and you can have your reputation.” She smacked her lips, and her eyes flashed. “Just give me my revenge.”_  
  
 _Draco sighed. “I can’t do this here,” he muttered, pushing back the stool. “Let’s go back to my hotel, we’ll talk it over.”_  
  
 _Bellatrix beamed. “Excellent,” she breathed. “I knew you’d come to your senses eventually. You always were my favorite nephew.”_  
  
 _“Save it,” Draco said, glaring at her. He scanned the room for the brunette, but she was nowhere to be found. He couldn’t help feeling that Bellatrix had ruined what could have been a perfectly splendid evening. “How did you find me here anyway?”_  
  
 _Bellatrix snickered. “I have my ways.” She cast an appraising eye around the room. “And besides, your mother always said you had a fondness for women in insufficient attire…”_  
  
 _Draco turned to leave, but then paused._  
  
 _“Alright,” he said. “But before we leave, I think I’ll take a few more drinks to go.”_  
  
Elle and Harry exchanged looks as Malfoy finished his anecdote.  
  
“So,” Elle said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Because you were drunk, you promised Bellatrix that you’d help kill us?”  
  
“But this doesn’t make sense,” Harry added. “Why couldn’t you just alert the Ministry, or escape from her, after you sobered up?”  
  
“Yeah,” said Elle. “Do you really think your life will be better after we’re dead?”  
  
“No,” Malfoy insisted, shaking his head. “I knew she was full of it, I know she can never give me back the life I once had…not that I even want it anymore in the first place…”  
  
Elle sighed. “So then why go through with it?” she asked breathlessly.  
  
Malfoy looked her in the eye, and straightened up. His face suddenly seemed extremely pale.  
  
“Because she not only persuaded me,” he explained. “She took it a step further, and waited until I was fully intoxicated to take advantage of me.”  
  
Harry didn’t like where this was headed.

“What do you mean?” he asked.  
  
Malfoy swallowed.  
  
“She made me make the Unbreakable Vow,” he said softly. “In my drunken state, I vowed to do my very best to drive you two apart. I vowed to convince your daughter to try to kill you two herself. And if all else failed, I vowed to assist Bellatrix in her quest for revenge.” He took a deep breath. “In addition to all of this, I vowed to kill a random muggle in order to prove my loyalty to her.”  
  
Elle stole a glance at Harry, stunned by this new piece of information. Harry shook his head.  
  
“And if you don’t succeed…” Harry said, trying to make sense of Malfoy’s story. “If you break the Unbreakable Vow by helping us live…”  
  
Malfoy nodded. “Then I die,” he finished.  
  
Silence fell among the three of them. Then, before another word could be spoken, one of the many fireplaces lining the wall suddenly burst into life, and the flames turned green.  
  
Harry and Elle spun around with their wands raised, ready to attack at a moment’s notice. But then a young girl stepped out of the flames, a slender girl with long, shiny black hair, and Elle dropped her wand.  
  
“Calla!” she cried out in relief, running towards her daughter. She threw her arms around her, squeezing her tightly. “Oh thank goodness, you’re alright!”  
  
Calla hugged her mother back. “Of course I’m alright, why wouldn’t I be?” She let go of Elle and drew back, staring at her mother and father, and shooting a confused glance towards Malfoy.

“Are you alright?” she asked. “I had the strangest dream that you guys were still here…and that you were in danger…”  
  
Harry rushed to his daughter’s side as well. “You were right,” he told her, bending down and putting a hand on her shoulder. “We are in danger, and so are you.”  
  
Malfoy nodded. “That’s right,” he said hastily. “Bellatrix could awaken any moment,  _now we’ve got to move!”_  
  
Calla looked at her parents with wide eyes. “What’s going on?” she asked shakily.  
  
Elle put an arm around Calla comfortingly. “It’s okay,” she said to her quietly. “I’ll explain everything in a minute, okay? As soon as we find a safe place to go.” She glanced at Harry, and then at Malfoy. “Are…are you coming with us?”  
  
Malfoy hesitated, and then nodded once more. “Yes,” he said. “I’ll help you.”  
  
Harry had no time to ponder what the implications of this meant. His main concern right now was keeping his daughter and his ex-wife out of harm’s way, no matter how much animosity he still held towards Elle. But just as he was about to suggest heading up to Auror Headquarters, another pair of footsteps sounded out behind him. But this time, they came not from the deserted hallway leading down to the courtrooms, but from the direction of the golden lifts.  
  
“And what exactly is going on here?”  
  
Harry didn’t need Malfoy’s glare, or Elle’s groan, to tell him who it was. For he recognized that voice immediately, and as he turned around, his suspicions proved correct.  
  
It was Parvati Patil, secretary for the Minister of Magic.  
  



	5. The Regret

Elle glared at Parvati. Why couldn’t Bellatrix have gone after  _her_ instead?  
  
“What are you doing here?” Elle asked, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
Parvati raised her eyebrows and looked Elle up and down.

“I work here,” she replied coolly. Her crisp magenta robes clung tightly to her body, and she held in her hands a stack of files. Her wand was tucked safely in her front pocket, and her brown hair was pulled back into a strict bun at the nape of her neck. Harry had to admit, she looked pretty professional.  
  
Elle wrinkled her nose. “I know, I know, secretary to the Minister,” she said, in a snooty British accent. “What exactly does he make you do that keeps you here so late?”  
  
Parvati pursed her lips. “It wasn’t my choice to stay late,” she replied, with forced calm. “Unfortunately, I had some filing to finish before I could go home. Apparently, when a famous couple gets divorced in a deserted Ministry courtroom after hours, there’s a lot of extra paperwork to sort through.”  
  
An uneasy silence followed her words. Elle’s cheeks flushed, and she tightened her grip around Calla’s shoulders. Parvati smirked.  
  
“And at least I have a job,” she continued. “What exactly are you doing with yourself these days, Elle? Going on trips to the beach? Shopping? Spending most of your ex-husband’s hard-earned money?”  
  
“Hey!” Calla shouted, shooting Parvati a dirty look. “Why don’t you go back to filing and leave my mother alone?”  
  
Parvati sniffed, and looked at Calla with an appraising stare. “I’d be careful with what you say to me, little girl,” she said softly. “The Ministry has the power to expel you from Hogwarts, and we wouldn’t want that to happen before you even arrive, now do we?”  
  
Calla bit her lip and looked up at Elle. Elle took her hands off Calla and took a step towards Parvati, raising a pointed finger to her face.  
  
“Alright, you can mock me,” Elle said fiercely. “But don’t you  _dare_  talk that way to my daughter. And you’re full of crap Parvati, only the Headmaster can expel students from Hogwarts.”  
  
Parvati gazed steadily at Elle’s hand, which was now inches away from her nose. “Still wearing your wedding ring I see,” she said quietly. “Why is that? Too clingy to let Harry go?”  
  
Elle froze and gazed down at her ring finger, her heart suddenly beating erratically. She hadn’t even thought about taking off her ring…her beautiful wedding ring, which she had worn for eleven years. Her hand would feel so strange without it, so naked. It was a part of her; it showed that she belonged to someone, that she had vowed to love somebody forever. Unfortunately, that was now no longer true.  
  
With a sigh, Elle withdrew her hand. Shakily, she slipped off her wedding ring and held it in her palm for a moment, not sure what she should do with it. It was like saying goodbye to an old friend.  
  
“Here,” she said after a moment, handing it to Harry. Harry took it, surprised.  
  
“I don’t want it,” he muttered. “I gave it to you.”  
  
“Well, I don’t want it either,” she said bitterly. “If you don’t take it back, I’ll throw it in the fountain. They can sell it and donate the money to St. Mungo’s.”  
  
Harry sighed, and pocketed the ring. Maybe he would burn it after they all got out of this mess.  
  
“Look,” he said to Parvati. “After Elle and I signed the…the divorce papers…Bellatrix showed up.”  
  
“What?” Parvati asked sharply, suddenly on edge. “In the Ministry?”  
  
“Yes,” Harry said seriously. “She wants to kill us and kidnap Calla, and she thinks Malfoy is working for her.”  
  
Parvati turned her head sideways and stared at Malfoy. Malfoy ran a hand through his unkempt hair, and grinned.  
  
“Hi,” he said, nodding his head at Parvati and winking. “How ya doin?”  
  
Parvati rolled her eyes and turned her gaze back to Harry. It took all of Elle’s strength not to giggle. Draco sounded so…so  _American._  
  
“Where is she now?” Parvati asked.  
  
“Immobilized,” Malfoy responded. “I stunned her and I’m pretty sure a wall fell on her. But she could reenergize at any moment.”  
  
Parvati stared frostily at him, her nostrils flaring. She looked a little like McGonagall.  
  
“A wall?” she asked disbelievingly.  
  
Harry cleared his throat. “I kind of, um, blasted the room apart,” he told Parvati sheepishly. He saw the look on her face and held up his hands. “I’m sorry, it was self-defense! Please don’t charge me for the repairs.”  
  
Elle shook her head. Parvati groaned.  
  
“Can’t you two do anything  _normally_?” Parvati asked in exasperation, taking out her wand. Her bangle of bracelets dangling from her wrists shook slightly, as if echoing her frustration. “Does  _everything_  have to be a bloody adventure?”  
  
“Sorry,” Harry and Elle said together.  
  
“I hope you two know that you ruined my night,” Parvati muttered, conjuring a Patronus. In the next second, a silvery panther appeared. However, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it pranced out of the room and vanished from sight.  
  
“Why, had a hot date or something?” Elle asked, watching the Patronus as it disappeared.  
  
“As a matter of fact I did,” Parvati said sternly, straightening up and tucking her wand away again. “Not everyone gets married at the age of seventeen like you. Besides, he’s a very respectable wizard…”  
  
“Wait,” Harry said, before Parvati could get into the details of her love life. “Who did you send that Patronus too?”  
  
“Kingsley,” Parvati answered. “I sent him a message telling him to gather all the Aurors and to report to headquarters immediately. In the meantime, we need to bring you three to the Safe Room until Bellatrix is captured. Also, I should alert the Minister…”  
  
“I’ll go up to headquarters and meet with Kingsley,” Harry interrupted. “You can take them to the Safe Room and the Aurors and I can come up with a plan…”  
  
“I’m sorry Harry,” Parvati interjected. “But if it’s you Bellatrix is after, then you’re putting the rest of the Aurors in danger. I think it’s best if you stay out of sight for the time being, and let Kingsley and his team handle this.”  
  
“What?” Harry asked in disbelief. “No, you can’t be serious! I need to do this, I need to fight her myself…she’s never going to stop…”  
  
“Until she kills you,” Parvati finished for him. “And we need to prevent that from happening, to the best of our ability.” She took a deep breath and faced him with a forbidding glare. “Come on, Harry,” she said. “We’ve gone through all the drills and procedures. You know what has to be done. Let the Aurors do their jobs, and let me do mine.”  
  
“No, I can’t let her get away this time…”  
  
“Please dad!” Calla cried, looking at Harry with a pleading stare. “Please…come with us.”  
  
Harry faltered, and looked at Calla’s desperate face. Her green eyes were filled with worry, and her hands were clutching at her white nightgown nervously. Harry’s resolve vanished.  
  
“Okay,” he said softly, bending down to Calla’s level and giving her a hug. “You’re right. I’ll stay with you. That way we can all be safe.” He pulled away and tucked a strand of Calla’s black hair behind her ear. “Don’t worry,” he whispered to her. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”  
  
Calla bit her lip and nodded, attempting a smile. “Thanks dad,” she whispered back.  
  
Parvati looked at Calla approvingly. “Good girl,” she said admiringly. “Now come, we must move quickly.”  
  
“Wait!” Malfoy exclaimed, as they began to move toward the lifts. “What about me?”  
  
Parvati rolled her eyes again. “I suppose you’d better come with us as well.”  
  
Her heels clicking unsettlingly on the tiled floor, Parvati turned and opened the grills for one of the golden lifts. They all filed inside, and a second later were whisked away to the upper floors of the Ministry. Elle and Calla stood at the back, side by side. Elle was stroking Calla’s hair.  
  
“Don’t worry,” Elle said quietly, repeating Harry’s assurances. “Everything’s going to be okay.”  
  
Calla looked up at her mother. “Mum,” she said hesitantly. “Who’s Bellatrix? And why does she want to kill me?”  
  
Elle sighed. “Bellatrix was one of Voldemort’s Death Eaters,” she explained slowly. “A very evil one. Remember the story I told you, of why your dad is so famous?” Calla nodded. “Well, after Voldemort was defeated, Bellatrix lost everything,” Elle continued. “And now, I suppose, she wants revenge.”  
  
Calla narrowed her eyes. “But what does HE have to do with this?” she asked, pointing to the back of Malfoy’s head. Elle hesitated.  
  
“Well…Bellatrix and Malfoy are related,” she said softly. “And Bellatrix sort of forced Malfoy into helping her. But it was a mistake, and now…now he’s going to help us.”  
  
Malfoy shifted uneasily from his spot near the doors. Elle didn’t know if he had heard them or not. The elevator stopped, and they all tiptoed quietly out into the dark corridor, wands held aloft.  
  
Elle gulped. They were right in front of the Auror offices. She hadn’t been there in ages, but it felt like just yesterday that she had been sitting in her own desk, right next to Hermione, swapping assignments with Harry. Harry had always tried to trade her for the more dangerous tasks, but they usually ended up going together. The two of them as a team had sent more Death Eaters and Voldemort supporters to Azkaban than any other Auror.  
  
Elle spotted her old desk near the front, right by the windows. It was empty now, but it had once been filled with all her little knickknacks…pink office supplies, butterfly figurines, lace coverings, Starbucks coffee cups, pairs of jeweled sunglasses, hair accessories, framed photos of Harry and Calla, a candy jar…now, the desk just looked like a sad, lonely piece of wood.

Elle remembered sitting in her swivel chair, shooting office memos over to Tonks on the other side of the office and pulling pranks on Moody’s desk whenever he left to go to the bathroom. Elle guessed that Moody probably didn’t miss the days of returning from the loo only to find that his desk had been turned into jello, or covered in bows. Ah, those were the good old days.  
  
But taking care of Calla had been, and still was, more important. Being back in the Auror headquarters, Elle could remember the day she had quit so clearly…  
  
 _They were in the middle of a large, luxurious banquet hall, celebrating Harry’s promotion. In a few moments, Harry would be named Head of the Auror office, in front of all their friends and coworkers. Elle had never seen Harry so happy in her whole life…finally, after all these years, he was doing what he was truly meant to do and was enjoying it wholeheartedly. And why shouldn’t he? He had worked hard for this, and he had his wife by his side to bask in his glory._  
  
 _Yet Elle couldn’t shake the feeling that something just wasn’t right. Ever since the night Harry had told her Bellatrix Lestrange was dead, she had felt that something was wrong. She should have been relieved, but instead her fear for Calla’s safety intensified. And things hadn’t been so hot between her and Harry either. Harry was growing more distant by the day…he spent all his free time at work, he stopped coming home for dinner…he had even stopped picking up Calla from daycare, which used to be his favorite thing in the world._

_Lately, Elle had felt like a single mother…cooking for Calla by herself, putting her to bed, reading to her, and then getting up early to join Harry at work, where he would barely acknowledge her and only stop what he was doing to ask her how Calla was. Work used to be fun, but it was slowly and steadily becoming a nightmare._   
  
_Elle knew that Harry was keeping something from her; she just didn’t know what it could be. Was it another woman? That didn’t seem like something Harry would do, but then again, anything was possible._   
  
_Elle spotted Ron and Hermione across the room and walked over to them, Calla slung across her hip. The exuberant four-year-old beamed at the two of them and wriggled out of her mother’s grip._   
  
_Hermione laughed. “Hello Calla,” she said kindly. “I love the new dress! Did your mum buy that for you?”_   
  
_Calla stuck out her lower lip, her beam suddenly replaced by a moody expression. She sashayed slightly from side to side, her pink lacy frock swishing noisily around her shins._   
  
_“Yeah,” she said sourly. “I hate it. It makes me look stupid.”_   
  
_Elle sighed. “Calla, you loved it in the store!”_   
  
_“No! It’s ugly! I want my Quidditch robes that dad bought me!”_   
  
_Elle gritted her teeth. Calla had been acting like, well, like a brat. Ever since Harry had become so distant, Calla had been picking fights with her and refusing to listen. Elle hoped that it was just a phase…she knew Calla normally wasn’t like this. Elle had tried asking Harry for help, telling him that maybe if he spent more time at home it would make Calla feel better, but Harry ignored her and kept telling Elle that Calla would grow out of it. It was easy for him to say. He didn’t have to listen to his daughter’s embarrassing temper tantrums all the time._   
  
_Hermione gave Calla a sympathetic smile. “Nonsense,” she said assuredly. “You look beautiful.”_

_She looked at Elle and the two girls shrugged their shoulders._   
  
_“You’re lucky you have a boy,” Elle told Hermione enviously._   
  
_Hermione grinned, glancing down at two-year-old Kevin, who was holding his father’s hand and looking at Calla with an uneasy expression._   
  
_“It’ll get better,” she told Elle comfortingly. “She just misses Harry, that’s all.”_   
  
_“Where is he, anyway?” Ron asked, looking around._   
  
_Elle rolled her eyes. “Who knows?” she said bitterly. “I never see him anymore.”_   
  
_Ron and Hermione glanced at each other. Hermione cleared her throat, and tucked her hair behind her hair._

_Elle noticed how radiant Hermione looked in her sleek black cocktail dress. Elle had tried to dress up nicely for her husband’s ceremony, but just before they were about to leave, Calla had deliberately spilled her bottle of juice all over Elle’s strapless red gown in a random fit. Elle had been too exhausted to repair the dress or to search for something new, and her hands had been shaking too badly for wandless magic. So, she had ended up attending the party in jeans and a t-shirt. She knew she looked wretched, and that she should’ve put more effort into her appearance seeing as how her husband was the guest of honor, but at the moment she didn’t quite care._   
  
_“Maybe if you just spoke to him…” Hermione suggested slowly._   
  
_Elle shook her head. “He doesn’t listen to me anymore,” she murmured, trying not to cry. The last thing she wanted to do was provoke Calla and risk a scene in front of all their colleagues. She glanced at Ron. “Maybe if you talked to him Ron…you’re his best friend, he’ll listen to you…”_   
  
_Ron looked uncomfortable, but saw the desperate look on Elle’s face and nodded. “I have to admit, he’s been a downright arse lately,” Ron admitted._   
  
_Hermione narrowed her eyes and glanced down at Kevin. “Ron…” she warned._   
  
_Ron grinned sheepishly. “Oops, sorry,” he said, covering his son’s ears. He looked back up at Elle. “But I’ll talk to him,” he promised. “Let’s just let Harry enjoy his night.”_   
  
_“Somebody say my name?”_   
  
_Elle sighed and turned around. Harry jogged over to them, a huge smile on his face, looking fit and powerful in his brand new suit. He grinned down at Calla, and then looked at Ron, Hermione, Elle, and Kevin. Kevin looked up at him._   
  
_“Arse,” he repeated, and then giggled. Elle laughed._   
  
_“Good one, Kev,” she whispered, winking at the little boy._   
  
_“Daddy!” Calla cried. Harry picked up the little girl and twirled her around. Calla smiled and giggled happily, suddenly angelic. Her moodiness appeared to have vanished._   
  
_“I’m glad you guys made it!” Harry said exuberantly, grinning at Ron and Hermione._   
  
_“Of course!” Hermione said, laughing. “We wouldn’t have missed this for the world!”_   
  
_“Yeah, well done mate,” Ron said, slapping a hand on Harry’s back. “Head of the Auror office. You’ve earned it.”_   
  
_“I never could’ve done it without you two,” Harry said sincerely, putting Calla down and running a hand through his windswept hair. His glasses sat lopsided on his nose, but he didn’t bother to fix them._   
  
_Elle wanted nothing more than to punch him in his face. It was like she didn’t even exist._   
  
_“Where have you been all night?” Elle asked in exasperation, putting her hands on her hips. “You were supposed to help us get ready and then we were going to come here together.”_   
  
_Harry turned and stared at Elle, as if just realizing that she was there._

_“What are you wearing?” he asked in disbelief._   
  
_Elle’s face turned red. “Calla ruined my dress,” she said through clenched teeth. “If you had been there, maybe I could have fixed it…”_   
  
_Harry took a deep breath, feeling a twinge of annoyance. “You really should stop blaming everything on Calla,” he said to his wife sourly. “We all know how clumsy you are.”_   
  
_“Mate,” Ron said in a warning tone, catching Harry’s eye. “How about you just drop it, okay?”_   
  
_“But Elle, this is my promotion ceremony! How do you think this makes me look, having my wife show up looking like she can’t be bothered to be here?”_   
  
_“Harry!” Hermione said in shock, looking at him in outrage._   
  
_It took all of Elle’s strength not to curse Harry right where he stood._

_“Never mind,” she spat, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “You stay here with Calla, I’ll just see you guys later. Make sure you keep an eye on her…you can do that much at least, can’t you?”_   
  
_She stalked off, heading in the direction of the open bar. Harry sighed and closed his eyes, massaging his temples with his hand. Calla seemed a little surprised at her mother leaving so suddenly, but then her and Kevin began to play and the two kids were instantly distracted from the awkward tension surrounding the adults._   
  
_“What was that for?” Hermione hissed. “Why did you have to be so tough on her? You know how hard she’s been working, taking care of Calla and finishing up all those assignments at work…”_   
  
_“I’ve been working just as hard,” Harry shot back. “You know why I have to be at wok all the time, you know why I have to keep my distance…if she finds out that Bellatrix is still alive…if I don’t find Bellatrix and kill her soon…”_   
  
_“I know,” Hermione said gently. “I know you’re trying to protect her. But Harry, don’t you think you’re being a little harsh? She’s still your wife, after all. And you’re being unfair.”_   
  
_Ron nodded in agreement. “Yeah, she doesn’t deserve to be treated like that,” he said honestly._   
  
_Harry immediately felt guilty. He looked at Elle from across the room. He knew that he hadn’t been spending much time with her lately, and that he’d been preoccupied in finding Bellatrix. But she knew he still loved her…didn’t she?_   
  
_“She could be a little more understanding,” Harry said in his own defense. “You know Elle, she’s always being difficult…”_   
  
_He looked to Ron and Hermione for support, but none came. It was clear that they were on Elle’s side._   
  
_“Alright,” he conceded, suddenly ashamed of himself. “I’ll talk to her. Come on, Calla,” he said, taking the little girl’s hand._

_Calla waved goodbye to Kevin and clutched Harry’s hand tightly as they walked through the crowd. Harry kept getting stopped by various people congratulating him on his promotion, but his heart was no longer in it. Elle, for once, was at the top of his mind._   
  
_He finally made it to the bar, where Elle was standing against the wall, glowering at the crowd and sipping slowly on a butterbeer. Calla came up to her and touched her leg gently._   
  
_“Hi mama,” she said quietly._   
  
_Elle’s face relaxed, and she picked Calla up and hugged her. She knew Calla didn’t mean the things that she said or did. All those tantrums and fits were just her way of coping with Harry’s unexplained absences. Elle figured that if she were a four-year-old, she would be acting the same exact way. Every day that Elle left Calla to go to work was like fighting a losing battle. Elle couldn’t bear leaving her. All they had was each other, and they needed to stick together, with or without Harry._   
  
_“Hi baby,” she whispered back, holding her daughter tightly._   
  
_Harry watched the two of them, and he got an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. How much longer would he have to keep abandoning the two people he cared for most in the whole world?_   
  
_“Hey,” Harry said to Elle, softening his gaze. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier.” He gave her a small smile. “You look beautiful tonight.”_   
  
_Elle swallowed, her eyes growing misty._

_“Harry,” she said slowly, gathering up her courage for what she was about to say. “I have to tell you something…”_  
  
 _“Hold on,” Harry said, stopping her as he saw the Minister of Magic arrive out of the corner of his eye. The Minister walked to the center of the room and cleared his throat, magically magnifying his voice with his wand. The whole room fell to a hush._  
  
 _Harry looked at Elle, his heart beating in exhilaration. “Can it wait a second?”_  
  
 _Elle frowned. “Not really,” she said. “I need to tell you…”_  
  
 _“Ladies and Gentleman!” The Minister announced. “Thank you all for coming. It is my very great pleasure to announce the new Head of the Auror office, a young man who has proved himself worthy in every aspect of defense against the dark arts…”_  
  
 _Ron and Hermione were at the very front of the room, smiling at Harry. Tonks, Kingsley, Moody, and all the rest of his fellow Aurors were there as well, beaming and waving at him. Calla was looking up at him admiringly. This was it…the moment he had waited most of his life for…_  
  
 _“Harry, I’ve been thinking and…”_  
  
 _“It is my great pleasure to introduce our guest of honor, Mr. Harry James Potter!”_  
  
 _The whole room erupted in applause. Calla jumped up and down laughing, clapping her hands. Harry was just about to turn and shake the Minister’s hand, when Elle took hold of his arm and held him back for a moment._  
  
 _“Elle,” Harry whispered. “The Minister’s waiting, everybody’s looking at me, I’ll be right back…”_  
  
 _“I quit, Harry.”_  
  
 _Harry stopped and stared at her, white-faced. “What? What do you mean?”_  
  
 _“I’m quitting my job. I don’t want to be an Auror anymore.”_  
  
 _There was silence between them. The room continued to cheer. Calla began tugging on Harry’s leg, and Harry glared at Elle._  
  
 _“Now,” he said through gritted teeth. “You tell me this now…”_  
  
 _Elle nodded, her eyes watering. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I’ll turn in my resignation to the Minister tomorrow…or to you, I guess, since you’re my boss now.” She bent down and picked up Calla, who instantly began to whine at being torn away from Harry._  
  
 _“Congratulations,” Elle told him stiffly, before turning around and pushing her way back through the room._  
  
 _Harry stared after her, before gathering his wits and shakily making his way up the Minister. He shook the Minister’s hand, and flashbulbs from cameras burst all around him._  
  
 _The party continued well into the night. Elle never returned._  
  
Elle sighed, tearing her gaze away from her old desk. Harry had become even more distant after that night. He usually crashed at Ron and Hermione’s place, but after their son Michael was born he spent even more of his time at work, oftentimes sleeping at his desk or renting out muggle hotel rooms in the surrounding area. When he did come home, it was always at ridicules times like one or two in the morning, and he would stay just long enough to grab a bite to eat, sleep, and change his clothes before heading back to work. Elle often felt as if her and Calla lived alone.  
  
On the other hand, Elle felt much better being able to stay home with Calla. Sure, it was hard the first couple of months. She missed her job, and missed feeling like she had a purpose in life. But she no longer felt guilty about neglecting her child. She took it upon herself to teach Calla everything she knew and to open her eyes to new things. And even though it took a while, Calla finally grew used to not having Harry around. The temper tantrums stopped, and Calla began to grow older, wiser, and more independent by the day. Before she knew it, Elle was celebrating Calla’s eleventh birthday, and the summer before she would leave for Hogwarts was approaching fast.  
  
Parvati led them all to a hidden corridor near the back of the Auror offices and they stopped in front of a blank wall. Parvati took out her wand and tapped the wall three times. Magically, a door appeared out of nowhere. Parvati turned the doorknob and led them inside.  
  
It was a tiny room with wood floors and blank walls. There was no furniture, no adornments, no windows…nothing. The only thing remarkable about the room was a shelf lining the far wall, which was filled to the brim with all kinds of defensive magical objects- a sneakoscope, an invisibility cloak, Peruvian instant darkness powder, and a pensieve were among them.  
  
Malfoy raised his eyebrows. “THIS is the safe room?” he asked in disbelief. “I have rooms at the Malfoy Manor that are more secure than this.”  
  
Parvati sighed. “Only employees who work in the Minister’s office have access to this room. There’s a magical force field around it, as well as an alarm system installed, so if somebody tries to enter we’ll know immediately.” She looked at Harry and Elle. “If you two need help, send a message to either me or Kingsley with your Patronus. We’ll come and get you as soon as we’re sure the area is secure. Other than that, I’d advise you not to try and contact anybody by any other means.”  
  
Elle, despising the fact that she was being forced to take orders from Parvati, nodded dully. Calla looked tense, and Harry seemed slightly aggravated that he was now obligated to entrap himself in yet another deserted room with his ex-wife.  
  
“What about me?” Malfoy asked, smirking at Parvati. “Want me to stand as bodyguard?”  
  
Parvati shook her head. “You are to come with me,” she ordered. “And tell me everything you know about Bellatrix Lestrange- her whereabouts, her motives…and how you became involved with her.”  
  
Malfoy grinned at her uneasily. “You know,” he said, in the familiar Malfoy drawl. “I always liked you.”  
  
Parvati recoiled. “Ugh,” she said, looking disgusted.  
  
They stood back as Harry, Elle, and Calla made their way into the safe room. Elle touched Malfoy’s arm gently as she passed through the threshold.  
  
“Hey,” she said quietly, locking eyes with him. “Thanks.”  
  
Malfoy looked down. “Don’t thank me yet,” he muttered.  
  
Harry looked at Elle’s hand, and how it was resting comfortably on Malfoy’s shoulder. A feeling of intense rage bubbled inside of him.  
  
“Malfoy,” he hissed, clenching his hands into fists. “If anything happens to my daughter, I’m coming after you…”  
  
“And if nothing does happen to your daughter, then you won’t have to,” Malfoy interrupted tiredly, rolling his eyes. “If you guys survive, then I’ll probably be dead.”  
  
Harry shut his mouth. He took Calla’s hand, and the two of them walked hesitantly inside the room. Elle gave Malfoy and Parvati one last look before taking a deep breath, and stepped over the entranceway. Parvati nodded briskly, and sealed the door behind them.

“Well…” Elle said, looking around the bare room and shrugging her shoulders. “At least it’s better than the courtroom.”  
  
“And it has toys,” Calla said in forced lightheartedness, walking over to the shelf and picking up the sneakoscope.  
  
“Don’t touch that, you might break it,” Elle said, in the meantime running her fingers over the pensieve. She tripped over a bit of raised floor, knocked the pensieve over, and it went tumbling to the ground with a loud  _thunk._  
  
Calla laughed. “Great example, mum.” She bent down to pick up the pensieve and returned it to the shelf. “What is this, anyway?”  
  
“It stores your memories,” Harry murmured, joining them in front of the shelf and peering at the pensieve.  
  
Calla raised her eyebrows. “Sounds like you’ve had some experience with that one, dad,” she said suspiciously.  
  
Harry grinned. “I’ll tell you a story sometime,” he promised.  
  
Elle bit her lip, fighting back her words.  _Sometime_ ,  _soon_ , and  _eventually_  were a few of the favorite phrases Harry liked to say to Calla, and she bought it every time. Elle sighed and walked over to the other side of the room, sinking back against the wall and sliding down to sit on the floor. Calla joined her, resting her head against her mother’s shoulder.  
  
Elle smiled, stroking Calla’s hair gently. “You should try to sleep,” she told Calla softly. “We might be in here for a while, and it’s very late.”  
  
“But I’m not tired,” Calla replied, yawning.  
  
Elle laughed. “What did Ron and Hermione say when you told them where you were going?”  
  
Calla hesitated and began examining her fingernails, avoiding Elle’s gaze. “Actually…I never told them where I was going.”  
  
Elle frowned. “What?”  
  
“Well, I left them a note…”  
  
“Oh Calla! They must be worried sick!”  
  
“It’s okay,” Calla said quickly, reaching into the pocket of her nightgown. “I took the cell phone with me. Ron and Hermione have a phone in their house now, so that Kevin and Michael’s muggle grandparents can call. I can call them right now and tell them that I’m alright!”  
  
“Calla, you heard Parvati, we aren’t supposed to contact anybody…”  
  
“Oh please tell me you aren’t going to listen to that woman! She was so rude to you!”  
  
Elle laughed again. “Trust me, that was downright cheerful compared to what she’s usually like. At least she’s trying to help us…”  
  
Harry stayed silent as he watched Elle and Calla converse. Both of their heads were bent together in comfortable banter, Elle’s blonde hair mingling with Calla’s black, like the perfect image of night and day. He watched as Elle absentmindedly threw her arms around Calla’s shoulders, throwing her head back to laugh whenever Calla tossed her an amusing wisecrack. He watched the dimples shine in Calla’s smile as she argued playfully with her mother, her green eyes full of sarcasm and sincerity. It was clear for anyone watching to see- the two of them were very close, and nothing would ever be able to break them apart.  
  
Harry knew that Elle had basically devoted her whole life to taking care of Calla, but Calla was older now, and would be going off to Hogwarts soon. Then Elle would be left alone, and what would she do then? Harry had never thought about this before, but the idea worried him. Without Calla, Elle would be lost. She lived and breathed for her daughter, but what would she do when Calla no longer needed her?  
  
“Here,” Harry said suddenly, interrupting them out of their reverie. “Give me the cell phone, I’ll call Ron and Hermione.”  
  
Calla looked at Harry in surprise. “Dad, I wasn’t really being serious. What if something bad happens?”  
  
Harry gave her an assuring look. “Nothing bad is going to happen,” he said confidently. “I just don’t want Ron and Hermione doing anything drastic, they’ll think it’s their fault you went missing.”  
  
Elle raised her eyebrows. “So the goody-two-shoes Auror is actually going to break the rules?” she asked in mock astonishment.  
  
Harry ignored her, and retrieved the cell phone from Calla. He took a few minutes, pretending to be busy searching for the number and checking the reception. There wasn’t a great signal, since they were both underground and surrounded by magic, but he figured he could at least give it a try.  
  
Calla settled back down, her head resting once more on Elle’s shoulder. Her eyes closed, and soon Elle’s eyes closed as well. A couple of minutes later, the sound of heavy breathing met Harry’s ears, and he could tell that the two of them were near sleep.

Harry took a deep breath, and dialed the number for the Weasley residence. To his great relief, Ron picked up after the first ring. Thankfully, he wasn’t shouting this time.  
  
“Ron, it’s me!” Harry whispered urgently into the cell phone.  
  
“Harry? Bloody hell, where are you? Are you alright?” Ron answered at once, sounding anxious.  
  
“Yeah, Elle, Calla, and I are just hiding out in the Safe Room until the coast is clear,” Harry responded, as quietly as he could. “Calla fell asleep, and I think Elle’s starting to drift off too. I assume you got Kingsley’s message?”  
  
“Yeah,” Ron said. “Hermione’s just packing up the boys’ stuff and then we’re dropping them off at my mum’s before heading to the Ministry. We were worried sick after we got Calla’s message and Hermione almost had a heart attack when she found her missing…”  
  
“It’s okay, we’re alright now,” Harry interrupted.  
  
“Good. Listen mate, I’ve got to go, I’ll be there as soon as I can and we’ll track down this hag…”  
  
“Hey Ron, can I ask you something?” Harry interjected again, pacing slowly around the tiny room.  
  
“What?” Ron asked, now sounding confused.  
  
“Do you…I mean…were you being honest when you told me that I did the right thing by divorcing Elle?” Harry asked, making sure to keep his voice low and steady so that Elle wouldn’t hear him.  
  
Ron sighed wearily. “I had a feeling this was coming.” He cleared his throat. “To tell you the truth mate, I thought you were making the biggest mistake of your life,” he answered bluntly, after a lengthy pause.  
  
Harry frowned. “Seriously? Then why…”  
  
“Because you’re my best friend, you were having a shitty night, and I wanted to make you feel better,” Ron replied in exasperation. “You would’ve done the same for me. Besides, what did I know? Maybe it was for the best.”  
  
“But Ron, how could I possibly have stayed married to someone who doesn’t trust me?” Harry asked, suddenly wild for justification and support.  
  
“Oh give it up, will you?” Now Ron was annoyed. “You gave her plenty of reason not to trust you, and you know it! Now I’m not saying a lot of this isn’t her fault too!” Ron continued hastily, before Harry could angrily interrupt. “But you lied to her about something major, and then claimed that you had never lied at all! I mean, would YOU trust you?”  
  
Harry sighed. “I guess not,” he grumbled. “But maybe you were right, and we have changed…”  
  
“People are allowed to change and still stay together,” Ron told him wisely. “Honestly, I can’t think of anyone more perfect for you than Elle.”  
  
“Why?” Harry asked, confused. “We barely have anything in common. Okay yeah, we both like Quidditch and saving people, but other than that we have no similar hobbies, our taste in music, food, movies…pretty much everything…is completely different, and well…she’s crazy!”  
  
“That’s not true!” Ron objected. “You both love…uh…Calla!” He sighed again. “Okay, so you two are different. Big deal. That’s not why you guys are so nauseatingly made for each other.”  
  
“Why are we, then?” Harry asked curiously.  
  
Harry could hear Ron grumbling under his breath, probably cursing himself for having to take part in this tedious discussion over Harry’s love life.  
  
“You want an example? Fine. Remember when I came with you to take Calla shopping for a toy broom, and you bought what you  _thought_  was a  _Witch Weekly_  magazine for Elle, but what was really an issue of…”  
  
“ _Hogsmeade Hotties_ ,” Harry whispered, mortified at the reminder of his accidental purchase of the Wizarding World’s equivalent to  _Playboy_. “That was an  _accident_ , Ron.”  
  
“Of course it was,” Ron said smoothly. “Anyway, my point is, any other wife would have been seething over the fact that her husband was looking at porn…”  
  
“I didn’t even open it!” Harry exclaimed.  
  
“…But when Elle saw it, instead of throwing it in the fire and slapping you in the face, she glanced at the magazine and said, ‘Hmm. Interesting. Anything good in there?’ And then she asked if you would mind if she borrowed it! If only Hermione were so understanding…”  
  
Harry grinned. It was true, Elle did laugh off a lot of things Harry did, stuff that he knew would render at least a long lecture if it happened in the presence of any other woman. But still…was this small fact enough to save their marriage? Or was it already too late?  
  
“I guess what I’m saying,” Ron continued, “is that she puts up with you. And speaking as someone who’s been your friend for the past two decades, that’s quite enough to overcome all of your differences.”  
  
Harry saw Elle stir out of the corner his eye, and her blonde hair swiveled as she looked around for him.  
  
“I have to go,” Harry hissed to Ron. “I’ll see you once we get out of this mess. Good luck, be careful.”  
  
“You too,” Ron said, before hanging up.  
  
Elle stared at Harry as he pocketed the cell phone, being careful not to wake Calla up.

“Everything okay?” she asked.  
  
“Yeah,” Harry said, throwing her a rare, weary smile. “Ron and Hermione are on their way to the Ministry.”  
  
Elle sighed. “I hope they know what they’re doing.”  
  
“They’ll be fine,” Harry said, taking out his wand and conjuring a bundle of blankets and pillows for Calla out of thin air. Elle slowly took the sleeping girl and laid her down, throwing the covers over her and brushing her hair off of her face.  
  
“Sleep tight, my girl,” she whispered. She stood up, and joined Harry on the other side of the room. They both stood motionless for a few beats, observing their daughter.  
  
“She’s getting so big,” Harry said to Elle, a small grin playing at the corners of his mouth.  
  
“Yeah, our little girl is all grown up,” Elle replied, smiling nostalgically. “And she’s slipping through our fingers.”  
  
Harry took a deep breath, running a hand through his tangled black hair. “Listen, Elle…” he said, not knowing quite where to begin. “I know this night’s been crazy, and we haven’t really had a chance to talk in, well, a long time…but I just wanted to say, I’m sorry.”  
  
Elle looked at Harry in shock. “What?” she asked, feeling as if she had just hallucinated.  
  
Harry cleared his throat. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. “For lying to you. For being a lousy husband. For…for everything.”  
  
Elle opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it again. She pulled back her hair into a ponytail, and then released it and let it loose again. Whenever she was at a loss for words, she always resorted to playing with her hair. Finally, her hands returned to her side, and her eyes met Harry’s. Truthfully, she appreciated his apology. It had just come a few years too late.  
  
“Thanks,” she said, chewing on her lip.  
  
Harry ran his hands against his jeans, casting a tired eye around the room. “Well, I guess there’s nothing left to do but wait…”  
  
“Harry?”  
  
Harry looked back at Elle. “Yeah?”  
  
“I…I’m sorry too.”  
  



	6. The Break-In

“You know, we had some good times together.”  
  
Elle picked up her head and looked at Harry strangely. They were sitting side by side in the Safe Room, and had both been silent for quite some time. Elle thought Harry had been falling asleep, but apparently he had been thinking just as hard as she was.  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
Harry grinned, delirious with exhaustion and drunk with nostalgia. With nothing to do other than stare at a blank wall and reminisce, his mind was fraught with memories of his and Elle’s life together, both good and bad. Not a single moment of their marriage had been easy, but it had definitely been interesting, and it had always managed to keep Harry on his toes. Now, with Elle permanently about to be removed from his life, he couldn’t help but wonder if she remembered the same things he did.  
  
“Do you remember the day we got married?”  
  
Elle sighed, twirling a piece of hair around her finger.

“Of course I do,” she replied softly. “I remember getting gum stuck in my hair that morning and then reeking of peanut butter all day.”  
  
Harry snorted. “I remember us cracking up during the ceremony and almost ruining the wedding.”  
  
“I remember the awesome cake.”  
  
“I remember McGonagall warning us not to have any kids so soon.”  
  
“Which we totally did!”  
  
“Cause we were irresponsible morons.”  
  
“Still true for one of us, at least.”  
  
Harry sighed, glancing at Calla sleeping soundly across the room. “I think it turned out okay,” Harry replied quietly. “I like Calla.”  
  
Elle laughed. “Yeah, she’s a keeper all right.” She grinned mischievously. “Speaking of memories, remember the day Remus came over for dinner and Calla was sick with a fever, and then she ended up throwing up during dessert? I was mortified!”  
  
Harry shook his head. “Nah, he understood,” he replied easily. “Remember when we used to work together?”  
  
Elle giggled. “I vaguely recall the janitor who used to come into our office and repeatedly try to ask me out, even though I kept telling him you and I were married.”  
  
“Hey, I told him he was free to take you. He never took advantage of the offer.”  
  
“And all those raids we used to go on…remember how we would always go together and then get ice cream on the way home?”  
  
Harry grinned fondly. “And we always made sure to bring some home for Calla. Do you remember the day she was born?”  
  
“Vividly,” Elle said, smiling. “I think I officially grew up that day.”  
  
“We both did.”  
  
They both looked at each other and shared a smile, and for a brief moment, Elle’s heart lifted. Was it possible that her and Harry were actually having a conversation free of accusations and insults? Why hadn’t they done more of this? Why had they never taken the time to actually sit down and listen to one another, instead of making rash decisions (her fault) and choosing avoidance over confrontation (Harry’s fault)? Elle couldn’t help but wonder…if they had done this all along, could their marriage have been saved?

“What would you say was your favorite memory of our marriage?” Harry asked Elle curiously.

Elle smiled. “That’s easy,” she said. “It was the one weekend I convinced you to take off work, and spend some time with Calla and I. She had just turned seven…” Elle closed her eyes, and recounted the memory for Harry.

_“What are we doing out here?” Calla asked, squinting suspiciously around their small garden. There were no other houses to be seen for miles, and they were quite protected thanks to the elm trees that lined their property._

_Harry and Elle shared a grin._

_“Today’s a special day,” Harry told his daughter, gripping her hand. “You just did magic, all by yourself- for the very first time.”_

_Calla raised her eyebrows. “Really? But I didn’t mean to, I was just trying to get my book down from the top shelf…”_

_“I was watching you,” Elle said brightly, kneeling down to Calla’s level. “You were concentrating, and not only did you levitate to reach the shelf, the book floated directly into your hands. Then you landed safely on the floor!” Elle swallowed, and Harry saw her eyes glisten slightly.  “I have to admit, I was worried for a moment, but I should have known you could handle it,” she continued, giving Calla a wink._

_“Wow,” Calla said, her eyes wide. “But I’ve done stuff on accident before…”_

_“Believe it or not, you’ve done more than that,” Harry said, thinking back on Calla’s premonitions over the years. “But the first sign of focused magical ability is something to be celebrated. That’s why we’re out here.”_

_Calla grinned excitedly and gripped Elle’s hand. Elle squeezed back- she was practically glowing with pride, but also felt a little melancholy. Calla had just turned seven, and was growing so fast. She no longer looked like a baby, or even a toddler; she was a true young lady who was approaching Hogwarts age quicker than Elle would like. She knew a lot of mothers had expressed this before but never quite understood, until now, just what she would do in order to slow down time._

_Calla had been asking for years to take a ride on Harry’s Firebolt. She wanted to fly high, she said- not just hover in midair on her toy broomstick. Elle and Harry were hesitant, but finally decided that Calla was old enough. And now that she had shown her first sign of controlled magic, magic that was more than just random sparks and accidents, it was time to take her for a spin in the skies._

_However, now that the time had come, Calla looked nervous. She had never been on a real broomstick before. Harry, on the other hand, was practically quivering with excitement. He had been looking forward to teaching Calla how to fly since the moment she was born._

_Harry raised his wand._

_“Accio Firebolt!” he called. The Firebolt, which had been stored safely in their downstairs closet, sped into his outstretched hand. Calla shrank back against Elle’s leg._

_“Ready?” Elle asked, holding Calla’s hand as Harry mounted the broom._

_Harry grinned. “Ready,” he replied, steadying the broom and maintaining it at a level that Calla could mount easily. He held out a hand to Calla, but she shook her head, suddenly hesitant._

_“I don’t know,” she whispered, clinging to Elle’s hip. “It looks scary. And it goes so high.”_

_Elle smiled reassuringly. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “Your dad knows what he’s doing. He’s a natural at flying, and you will be too.”_

_“I won’t let you fall,” Harry said confidently, still holding out his hand._

_Calla finally stepped away from her mother, and put her shaking hand into Harry’s. Gently, Harry took it and placed it on the broom handle._

_“Come here,” he said, slowly guiding her onto the broom. “Sit in front of me, I’ll hold on to you the whole time. Grip the handle tightly, and when you’re ready, guide the broom upwards.”_

_Elle grinned, watching Harry teach Calla how to steer the broom with nothing but happiness in his eyes. His murmured words of guidance seemed to give Calla confidence, and soon the little girl was smiling in anticipation. Elle silently summoned her own broom, eager to join them in the skies._

_“On the count of three,” Harry said, and both of their knees tightened. “One, two…three!”_

_The two shot up into the sunlight. Calla shrieked, and then laughed. Harry put his arms around her, and helped her take a few laps around the garden. Their toes skimmed the tops of the trees, and they headed for the roof of their house. Elle watched the pair fly for a minute, a blur of black hair billowing in the wind, before mounting her own broom and kicking off from the ground to join them._

_“Hey you two!” Elle called, speeding to catch up as the three of them flew higher toward the clouds. Calla looked around at her mother with wide eyes, and then laughed._

_“Mum!” she yelled happily, reaching out her arms toward her. “Look, I’m flying!”_

_“I see!” Elle said excitedly, grabbing onto Calla and hoisting her up in front of her, so that Calla was now riding with Elle._

_Harry grinned and circled the two girls. For the first time in a while, he had forgotten about being an Auror. He was so free, being up in the air with his wife and daughter. They were the only real things in the world, and nothing else mattered._

_“Do you trust me?” Elle asked Calla suddenly, sharing a mischievous look with Harry. Harry grinned broadly, and dropped his broom so that he was just below them._

_Calla’s fear was gone. “Yes!” she shouted triumphantly._

_Elle grabbed Calla by the armpits, lifted her up in the air, and then tossed her to Harry. Calla laughed with glee, airborne for a spilt-second, before Harry sped up and caught her around the middle._

_“I wasn’t the youngest Seeker in a century for nothing!” he yelled in delight, as Calla scrambled in front of him again. He continued to hold onto her gently, and they flew around their garden once more._

_“You’re going to make a great Quidditch player someday,” Harry told Calla confidently. “Just watch out for your mother, though- she’s a fantastic Beater.”_

_The three of them continued to fly, with Harry and Elle taking turns letting Calla steer their brooms. It was a long time before either of them decided to come back down to Earth._

Harry grinned as Elle finished the story. 

“You know what? I think that was my favorite memory too,” he said enthusiastically.

The atmosphere in the room felt almost lighthearted for a moment. But then, as quickly as it had flared up, Elle’s smile faded and her heart sank.

“Do you ever wish that we would have done things differently?” she asked.  
  
Harry frowned. “All the time,” he answered honestly. “Like, maybe if we hadn’t gotten married so young…or had Calla so young…”  
  
“If we had just taken things slowly…”  
  
“And took the time to grow up without growing apart…”  
  
“We wouldn’t feel so…”  
  
“We wouldn’t be this…”  
  
“Trapped?” they both concluded together. They each shared a look and sighed.  
  
“I guess we’ll never know,” Harry said wistfully, staring off into the distance. “I really did love you, you know.”  
  
Elle crinkled her eyebrows, dully noting the past tense. “I know.”  
  
Harry checked his watch. It was two in the morning. He wondered if Bellatrix had been caught, if Malfoy was still alive, if the others were okay…he hated being so dormant in the midst of all this activity. He should have taken care of Bellatrix long ago.  
  
He rubbed his eyes and looked at Elle. “What are you going to do once Calla goes off to Hogwarts?” he asked, suddenly curious. “Not that I care, really,” he muttered as an afterthought.  
  
Elle narrowed her eyes, and then shrugged. “I don’t know,” she whispered, and Harry detected a note of anxiety in her voice. “I haven’t really thought about it. It hasn’t hit me yet that Calla’s leaving. I can’t imagine a life without her. We’ve been a pair, her and I, for so long. She’s all I have in the world.”  
  
Harry glanced away guiltily, not knowing how to respond to this. It was true…Elle had no relatives, her two childhood friends lived halfway across the world, and all her other friends were also friends of Harry’s. For all of her socializing and bubbliness, in reality Elle must actually be insanely lonely. Without Calla around, Harry feared that she’d go crazy.  
  
“You could have your old job back, you know,” Harry offered weakly. “I know you’re qualified. We wouldn’t have to see each other all that much…”  
  
Elle shuddered. “No thanks,” she replied. “If I had to take orders from you every day, I think I’d kill myself.”  
  
Harry shrugged. “It’s just as well,” he supposed. “The Minister is retiring soon. The whole Ministry will be in a state of upheaval until a new one is elected…”  
  
Elle looked up in alarm. “Parvati isn’t going to take his job, is she?” she asked in fear.  
  
Harry laughed. “I don’t think that’s really her style,” he assured her. “She likes to delegate, but doesn’t like having a lot of responsibility. Rumor has it that Kingsley’s been suggested for the job, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”  
  
Elle nodded, suddenly deep in thought. They were silent for a few moments more, until Harry faced Elle once again.  
  
“Hey, I have a question.”  
  
“Good, I have an answer.”  
  
Harry shook his head. “How  _did_  you find out that Bellatrix was alive? All I know is I came home from work one day, and you blew up at me, and started yelling that you hated me.”  
  
Elle pursed her lips. “Oh, it was quite stupid actually. I bumped into one of your fellow Ministry drones while I was shopping with Calla in Diagon Alley one day, and she spilled the beans.”  
  
Harry was confused. “Who?” he asked. “An Auror?”  
  
Elle shook her head. “Nope, not an Auror, thank god,” she muttered. “It was Cho, Cho Chang.”  
  
Harry’s jaw dropped. “What?” he asked in disbelief. “Why would you talk to Cho, you barely know her! And why would she talk to you?”  
  
“Well, we were all in the Order together, remember? Anyway, she came up to me. I was minding my own business, heading towards the Leaky Cauldron with Calla when she spotted me and approached me before I could make up an excuse and walk away.”  
  
Harry tried hard to picture his two exes conversing together in the middle of Diagon Alley. He couldn’t quite manage to conjure that particular mental image.  
  
“What did she want?” he asked uneasily, trying to sound casual.  
  
Elle closed her eyes and thought, trying to remember how the conversation had went. “Oh, nothing really. She just asked about you and how we were doing, since she hadn’t seen me around the Ministry in a while and hadn’t heard you mention me all that much…I guess she was either trying to be friendly, or trying to satisfy her need for gossip. Either way, she told me that Parvati had been going around telling everyone that you and I were having problems, and she wanted to find out for herself.”  
  
Harry massaged his forehead. Sometimes, he really didn’t understand women.  
  
“And what did you tell her?” he asked, not really wanting to know.  
  
Elle grinned mischievously. “Well, I  _wanted_  to tell her the truth…about what a jerk you were and how our marriage was in trouble. But for some reason, I just didn’t want to give Parvati the satisfaction of being right. And of course, Calla was with me, and despite what you may think, I don’t believe in badmouthing you in front of her. Doesn’t quite send the right message.”  
  
Harry was glad of this. Even though his marriage with her mother hadn’t worked out, Harry didn’t want Calla to think that all marriages ended up like theirs. He wanted her to be able to trust others and make wise decisions…and above all else, be able to eventually learn to love. No matter what sticky situations Elle managed to get herself into and no matter what problems she had caused, there was one thing she had always done an admirable job of, and that was raising Calla. Harry just didn’t know how to tell her that.  
  
“So…” Elle continued. “I told her that we were fine, but it wasn’t like how it used to be. However, she seemed to understand. Turns out she has experience dealing with you. The two of us should actually join a club- women who have been let down by Harry Potter. Good thing she was smart and ditched you while she had the chance…”  
  
Harry sighed, his former good mood over their memories evaporating. “What does this have to with Bellatrix?” he grumbled.  
  
“Well, I started asking her what everyone at the Ministry had been up to, and she said everyone in the Auror department had been working really hard, and were complaining because you kept sending them on all these difficult, faraway assignments.” Elle frowned. “So I asked why, and she gave me an odd look and told me I should know why. Then I became really confused, and she said it was because…because they were searching the world for Bellatrix Lestrange.”  
  
Harry buried his face in his hands and groaned. He had been so careful to warn all the Aurors not to tell Elle…why hadn’t he thought to warn those in the other departments as well? And why did Cho have to go and spill the beans?  
  
Elle swallowed. She looked as if she were struggling to restrain tears.  
  
“And then I said…what are you talking about, Bellatrix Lestrange is dead…and she gave me this awful, pitying look and that’s how…that’s how I found out the truth.” Elle shook her head and then laughed bitterly. “I felt so stupid,” she muttered. “But I guess I should have known. We had been having problems for so long and then finding out that you lied to me…well, I knew I couldn’t trust you after that.”  
  
Harry looked at her carefully. “Elle, I’m really sorry,” he told her cautiously. “I didn’t want you to find out like that. I just wanted to be able to take care of it myself, you know? I didn’t want you or Calla getting hurt…”  
  
“By not telling us? By avoiding us?” Elle exclaimed. “We’d have been better off dead.”  
  
Harry looked down. “Not to me, you wouldn’t have,” he said quietly.  
  
Elle glared at him. All the anger she had subdued after entering the Safe Room had suddenly flared up again. “Now that you mention it, I have a question for  _you_ ,” she said suddenly.  
  
Harry raised his eyebrows. “Yes?”  
  
Elle narrowed her eyes. “You said that the day Calla contacted you about Malfoy was the day you finally found Bellatrix. Where did you find her?”  
  
Harry frowned. “I really shouldn’t be telling you this…”  
  
Elle rolled her eyes and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Please, it’s not like I’m going to go after her or anything, she’s already here.”  
  
Harry sighed. “Fine. I found out that she had been hiding in the ruins of Voldemort’s old hideout. Remember the mansion on that island?”  
  
“Of course,” Elle replied, her eyes narrowing even further. “But the mansion burned down…”  
  
“Not all of it,” Harry replied, taking off his glasses and wiping them clean on his jeans, before replacing them on his nose. “Some of the walls are still standing. The rest of the island is pretty desolate though. Anyway, I’ve been checking that location periodically for years, wondering whether or not she would ever return. And she did, about two weeks ago…the same time Malfoy returned from America.”  
  
Elle shook her head. “I can’t believe it…you’ve been returning to that spot for years…and you never told me…”  
  
“Well, I wasn’t entirely certain she would go back,” Harry admitted. “I mean, who in their right mind would, right? I just had a hunch.”  
  
“You and your hunches,” Elle grinned. “I hate to admit it, but you do make a really good Auror.”  
  
Harry grinned as well. “I hate to admit it, but I actually did a better job when you worked with me.”  
  
Elle laughed. “Are you serious? We goofed around way too much. Hermione was always telling us off, remember?”  
  
“And Moody kept shooting us those dirty looks every time we mocked him for taking an assignment too seriously…”  
  
“But it was so easy,” Elle said lightly. “You did the best impression of him.”  
  
They laughed together quietly, looking over at Calla to make sure she was still sleeping. Then Elle looked at Harry and, without really knowing why, gently touched his arm. Harry’s skin tingled at the touch and he was filled with a strange, sudden warmth.  
  
“Hey,” she whispered, looking him in the eyes. “Thanks for telling me about Bellatrix.”  
  
Harry grinned, and put his hand over hers.  
  
“You’re welcome,” he said.  
  


* * *

 

“I can’t believe this,” Parvati said, shaking her head and staring at Malfoy from across her large desk. “So you got drunk, and made an Unbreakable Vow with Bellatrix Lestrange, the Death Eater that the Ministry has been trying to track down for years? What were you thinking?”  
  
Malfoy shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea at the time…”  
  
Parvati sighed, and massaged her temples. “You deserve to die for your stupidity,” she muttered, pulling out a quill from one of her desk drawers and scribbling a message on a spare piece of parchment.  
  
Malfoy hesitated. “Speaking of that little…uh…snag in my plan, do you happen to know of any loopholes?”  
  
Parvati stopped writing just long enough to stare at him and to raise her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”  
  
Malfoy swept his hair off of his face and gave Parvati what he hoped was a dashing, debonair grin. “You know, is there any way I might be able to get out of helping Bellatrix without dying?”  
  
Parvati shook her head. “Nope,” she answered curtly, continuing her scribbling. “That’s why they call it an, ahem,  _Unbreakable_  Vow.”  
  
She set the quill down on the desk, sealed the letter, and whistled. A tawny brown owl fluttered through her office window, and she gave the letter to it. The owl ruffled up its feathers, hooted in dignified acquiescence, and flew back out the window into the star-filled night. Malfoy watched the owl’s flight with a dead, dejected look on his face. Parvati gazed at him and sighed.  
  
“Look,” she said, standing up and beginning to pace the room. “The best advice I can give you is to stay out of sight. Don’t help Bellatrix, but don’t help the Potters either. Just…do nothing. For all Bellatrix knows, you’ve been arrested. Or Stunned. If she catches on that you’re deliberately disobeying her orders, then you’ll die for sure.”  
  
Malfoy sighed. “You’re saying I should just hide?” he asked in frustration. “For how long, forever?”  
  
Parvati raised her eyebrows. “Or until Bellatrix is killed,” she answered slowly.  
  
Malfoy stared at her hopefully. “Really? Once she dies, the Unbreakable Vow will disappear?”  
  
Parvati sighed again. “I assume so,” she said, looking out the window and checking her watch, clicking her heel against the floor impatiently. “I suppose we’ll find out either way.”  
  
Malfoy slumped against his chair. He had made a huge mistake, all right. At least one thing was certain- he never planned on drinking again.  
  
“Whom were you writing to?” he asked. “Your date?”  
  
Parvati glared at him. “Not my date,” she said darkly. “Yours.”  
  
Before Malfoy could ask any more questions, the fire in Parvati’s fireplace turned green. Sparks flew out, and the flames rose higher and higher, practically licking the ceiling. Before Malfoy knew it, Ginny Weasley was standing in the middle of the office.  
  
“You do remember Miss Weasley, don’t you?” Parvati asked with a smirk, nodding her head towards Ginny. “Or should I say, Mrs. Rolph Meza?”  
  
Ginny stared at Malfoy in shock. Her bright red hair hung in long waves around her waist, and stood out starkly against her black Ministry robes. Malfoy couldn’t tear his eyes away from her creamy white skin, or her warm, searching eyes…or the wedding ring glinting from her left hand…  
  
“I don’t believe it,” she whispered, staring at Malfoy as though awestruck. “It’s you. You’re back.”  
  
Malfoy smiled weakly. “Hey,” he murmured, suddenly self-conscious over how disheveled he looked.  
  
Ginny pursed her lips. “And you’re on the run from a murderous Death Eater,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “Honestly Draco, couldn’t you have just written a letter? You had to go this far to get my attention?”  
  
Malfoy opened his mouth in protest, but Ginny interrupted him by rounding on Parvati.  
  
“And you!” she exclaimed in outrage. “Just because you’re secretary to the Minister, it doesn’t give you to right to order me about at all hours of the night! I said contact me in an  _emergency_  Parvati, not to babysit a deluded ex-friend of mine. Rolph and I were sleeping…”  
  
“And I had a date that I had to cancel,” Parvati sniffed, running a hand over her bun. “We’ve all had our night ruined by the Potters and Mr. Malfoy here. Besides, I thought you would take particular interest in  _this_  assignment.”  
  
Ginny sighed, and crossed her arms over chest. “So Bellatrix wants him to help her kill Harry and Elle, and to kidnap Calla. What am I supposed to do with him? Where are we supposed to go?”  
  
“Anywhere,” Parvati said. “Just make sure he stays out of sight. Don’t worry- I’ll tell the Minister, and I’ll make sure you’re rewarded generously.”  
  
“You’d better,” Ginny muttered, sweeping her hair over her shoulder and shooting daggers at Malfoy. “Come on, then,” she said briskly, gesturing toward him and striding towards the door.  
  
Malfoy slowly got to his feet. He had no idea what to say to her after all these years.  
  
“Ex-friend?” he muttered, as he approached her side.  
  
Ginny gazed at him. “Eleven years, and not so much as an owl? You could’ve been dead and I would have had no idea. I wouldn’t call that friendship, would you?”  
  
Malfoy was saved from answering by the door slamming open. Ron, Hermione, Kinglsey, and Moody all dashed into the room, looks of alarm on their faces. Parvati straightened up immediately.  
  
“What news?” she demanded. “Did you catch her?”  
  
“She’s gone!” Hermione said breathlessly. “We went straight to the courtroom. The room is destroyed, but Bellatrix was nowhere to be found.”  
  
“And she’s not in the atrium,” Ron added hastily. “We’ve stationed a few Aurors around the fireplaces to see if she tries to leave, and the others are searching the upper floors for her.”  
  
“Is she armed?” Kingsley asked in a deep, urgent voice.  
  
“No,” Malfoy answered for them. “Potter took both of our wands. But she’s still dangerous, wand or no wand.”  
  
“Okay,” Parvati said, nodding. “Search everywhere! No one rests until she’s found!”  
  
They all nodded and dashed out of the room. Ginny took a deep breath, and her and Malfoy left the office as well. The door swung shut with an echoing click. Parvati grumbled in frustration and grabbed her wand off of her desk.  
  
“Thanks Elle,” she muttered to herself sarcastically. “For a lovely,  _delightful_  evening.”  
  


* * *

 

“Do you hear that?” Elle whispered suddenly. She had been leaning against the wall, lazily stroking Calla’s hair, but was now up and alert.  
  
Harry narrowed his eyes. “Yeah…” he said slowly, standing up and walking to the sealed door. “It sounds like…like footsteps…and heavy breathing…”  
  
Elle stood up too and walked next to him. “Do you think it’s the Aurors?” she asked worriedly. “Maybe it’s Ron and Hermione, or Kingsley, or Parvati, and they’ve come to tell us that the coast is clear?”  
  
Harry frowned. “Maybe…” he said slowly. “Shh…listen…”  
  
They both were silent as the sound of thudding footsteps came closer and closer. Harry put a finger to his lips and took out his wand, and Elle did the same. They stood still for a few moments more, until a voice sounded out from beyond the walls that made their hearts sink.  
  
“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” came a low, mocking cackle.  
  
Elle gasped, and Harry immediately clapped a hand over her mouth.  
  
“I know,” he muttered, frantically thinking and shooting a desperate glance over at Calla. “But we have to be quiet.”  
  
Elle nodded, and Harry lowered his hand.  
  
“But how did she find us?” Elle hissed.  
  
“I don’t know,” Harry hissed back, wondering what could have went wrong and where Ron, Hermione, and the others were now.  
  
“She can’t get in, can she?”  
  
Harry tried to remember what Parvati had said about the room. “Not unless she can break through the force field…and if she did somehow manage to get in, the alarm system would go off, right?”  
  
Suddenly, there was a loud bang on the door. Elle screamed, and Calla woke up with a start.  
  
“What’s going on?” she asked, jumping to her feet and running over to her parents.  
  
The bang sounded again. It appeared as if Bellatrix was right outside, kicking at the door with her heavy heeled boots, trying to force her way in. Elle grabbed Calla and both of them backed up into the far corner of the room, while Harry threw his whole body against the door, trying to keep it from caving in.  
  
“What do we do?” Elle cried, bumping into the shelf with all the defensive objects. The Pensieve once again fell to the floor, this time smashing into a million pieces. The sneakoscope went off at once, whizzing and whirring noisily. Calla clamped her hands over her ears.  
  
“The cell phone must have deactivated the force field!” Harry shouted, as the banging continued. Harry continued to throw his weight against the door, forcing it stay closed.  
  
Calla winced. “Oops,” she said guiltily. “I guess Hermione was right- electronics and magic really don’t mix.”  
  
Elle rolled her eyes. At least Parvati had been right to warn them not to contact anybody. Too bad they hadn’t listened to her.  
  
“It’s not your fault,” Elle told Calla. “Those iPhones really should come with a disclaimer. Like ‘Warning- Phone may attract creepy, psycho witches’.”  
  
Harry sighed. “I told you we should have gotten the Samsung!”  
  
Out of nowhere, the banging stopped. Once again, all was silent. Harry backed away from the door, breathing heavily, and joined Elle and Calla against the far wall.  
  
“Is she gone?” Calla asked hesitantly.  
  
“No, she’ll be back,” Harry muttered, scanning the items on the shelf to see which ones they could use. His first order of business once they got out of this mess was to improve the conditions of the Safe Room.  
  
“Put on the invisibility cloak!” he said to Calla.  
  
Calla ran her fingers through the satin cloak she had been holding onto. “Do I put it on now?” she asked, tucking a black strand of hair behind her ear.  
  
Harry nodded at her and grinned reassuringly. “Yes,” he ordered. “And try to slip out of the room as soon as you can. Find Ron and Hermione, or any of the other Aurors, and don’t remove the cloak till you’re safe.”  
  
Calla swallowed and nodded confidently. “Okay,” she agreed. “What are you guys going to do?”  
  
Harry and Elle exchanged looks. “We’re going to try and hold her off,” he replied, trying to sound as calm as possible. “But don’t worry about us, we’ll be alright- just run, and don’t stop running until you’ve found some help.”  
  
Elle winked at Calla and gave her a quick hug, before taking the invisibility cloak from her hands and tossing it across Calla’s shoulders. The young girl vanished from sight.  
  
“Good,” Harry said, and then he beckoned to Elle. Elle’s eyes flickered towards his face and she stepped closer to him.

“Take this,” he said, pressing a handful of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder into her hands. “Once she forces her way in, I want you to throw it towards her. Hopefully that’ll distract her and give Calla enough time to slip away.”  
  
“But then how will we see?” Elle asked in a low voice. She didn’t want Calla to sense her panic.  
  
Harry continued rummaging through the items on the shelf until he came across what looked like a severed hand. “Aha!” he exclaimed. He picked up the hand and showed it to Elle. “With this.”  
  
Elle narrowed her eyes. “A Hand of Glory,” she whispered. “Giving light only to the beholder…I haven’t seen one of these in ages.” Then, she sighed. “Harry, Calla should hold onto to one of our wands.”  
  
“I’ve got a better idea,” Harry said. “I’ve still got Malfoy’s wand. With all the trouble he’s put us in tonight, I doubt he’ll mind if Calla borrows it.” He held it out, and an invisible arm reached out and grabbed it from him.  
  
“I don’t really know any spells,” came Calla’s hesitant, disembodied voice. "I only know how to conjure fire."  
  
“That’s alright,” Harry assured her. “When the time comes, you’ll know what to do. Even though you’re not at Hogwarts yet, you’re still a witch, and a pretty darn clever one if I have anything to say about it.”  
  
“Come on Dad, don’t make me blush.”  
  
Harry and Elle smiled. The Sneakoscope behind them spun even faster. There was one final bang, the door burst open, and Bellatrix Lestrange stepped into the room. She smiled a delirious smile, showing off a row of cracked yellow teeth. Her wild hair spilled out in all directions, and she wobbled slightly on her feet, as if the wall that had crashed on top of her had left her just a tad off-balance.  
  
“Hello Harry,” she cooed. “Elle. Aren’t we a little too old to be playing hide and seek?”  
  
Elle gripped her wand and moved slightly towards her. “Hello Bellatrix,” she whispered.  
  
Bellatrix grinned at her, and Harry could detect a slight hint of red gleaming in her eyes. Suddenly, he had the very strong urge to grab onto Elle and force her out of harm’s way. His eyes flickered toward the spot where Calla had vanished. He hoped his daughter would be able to escape…  
  
“Didn’t I almost kill you the last time we met?” Bellatrix asked, tilting her head and twirling a piece of hair around her finger.  
  
Elle swallowed and placed a hand over her stomach. Harry knew she was remembering the battle at Voldemort’s mansion where Bellatrix had stabbed her with a poisonous sword, and was picturing the scar that still remained.  
  
“I do,” Elle replied calmly. “ _Almost_  being the key word there.”  
  
Bellatrix bent down, and pulled a sharp, shiny dagger out of her black-heeled boot. She stood upright again, fingering the blade in a loving fashion.  
  
“You remember the old ways, don’t you Elle?” she hissed. “Maybe your daughter would like to try…”  
  
Elle glared at her. “I remember,” she said defiantly. “But here’s a little something new…”  
  
She threw the powder, and in the next instant the whole room went dark. Black smoke billowed everywhere- Elle’s vision was totally obscured-  
  
“Here,” Harry whispered, taking her hand.  
  
The Hand of Glory blazed to life, and Harry and Elle gazed around the room, taking advantage of their exclusive sight. They could see Bellatrix flailing wildly about, gazing blindly into every corner of the room. Elle saw the door creak slightly open and then slam shut, and she breathed a sigh of relief. At least Calla had found her way out…  
  
All of a sudden, she saw Bellatrix raise her dagger, and the blade shot directly toward Harry. Elle yanked on Harry’s shirtsleeve and he tumbled sideways, just in time for the dagger to hit the wall behind him, exactly where his head had been milliseconds before. Harry stared at Elle with his mouth slightly open, and Elle grinned.  
  
“Yeah, I totally just saved your life,” she whispered smugly. “No need to thank me or anything…”  
  
Harry grinned back and grabbed her hand. “Come on,” he hissed. “This way. Let’s get you out of here so you can catch up with Calla…”  
  
The black smoke was slowly beginning to dissolve. Harry and Elle ducked and tiptoed as quickly as they could along the wall as Bellatrix continued to shout. At last, they reached the door, but before Harry could yank it open the smoke dissipated completely, and him and Bellatrix stood in perfect sight of each other. Both of them stopped and stared each other down.  
  
“You think you can actually kill me?” Bellatrix whispered, glaring at him. “You think I haven’t prepared for this? From the moment you killed my Master, I’ve been plotting against you…predicting your every move…concocting a plan for every defense you muster. I’ve waited too long for this. You and your ex-wife will die tonight, and your daughter will either join me or pay the consequences.”  
  
Elle narrowed her eyes. “Impressive speech,” she said sarcastically. “But I’d feel even more threatened if you weren’t wandless and alone right now.”  
  
Bellatrix threw back her head and laughed a maniacal laugh. Harry, with a furious stare, raised his wand and opened his mouth to speak the curse he had been itching to throw at Bellatrix from the very moment she had killed his godfather. He could feel Elle’s eyes boring holes into the back of his skull. It was now or never…  
  
Closing his eyes, he mustered every ounce of hatred in his body. He took a deep breath. However, he hesitated just a second too long.  
  
There was a loud _crack!_  An unsettling silence sunk over the room.  
  
He didn’t need Elle’s cry of “No!” to realize what had happened. He opened his eyes, dejectedly gazing on the spot where Bellatrix had just Disapparated.  
  
“Harry…”  
  
“Not now!” Harry muttered, not wanting to listen to Elle berate him for not killing Bellatrix while he had the chance. Raising his wand, he closed his eyes once more and muttered the first spell that came to his mind- a spell he had learned from his very first day of Auror training. A spell he should have performed in the first place, had he not been so distracted dealing with his ex-wife.  
  
“Okay,” he said, as calmly as he could, opening his eyes. “I cast an anti-Apparition charm around the Ministry building. Bellatrix is trapped in here just as much as we are. If she wants to kill us, she won't have left the building. I am going to go and find her and kill her once and for all…this ends tonight…”  
  
“Harry…”  
  
“WHAT?” Harry burst out in frustration, glaring at Elle. “I know, I know, I should have ended her right then and there, alright? I messed up. I was just so concerned with making sure Calla got out of here safe, and then getting you out of here..”  
  
He was cut off as Elle came over to him, and shockingly, stroked his face softly with her hand.  
  
“You were great,” she whispered. “You’re a great Auror.”  
  
Harry sighed, and awkwardly lowered his head. “Thanks,” he said, trying his hardest not to shiver at her touch. “You were pretty brave too.”  
  
Elle lowered her hand and pushed her hair off of her face. She swallowed. “So here’s the deal,” she said straightforwardly. “We don’t know where Bellatrix and Calla are. Calla may be safe, but we can’t be certain of that until we find her.”  
  
Harry nodded. He understood perfectly what she was getting at.  
  
“What do you say Elle?” he asked, attempting a grin. “Let’s put our differences aside for one night and work as a team. One last adventure, you and me. We’ll defeat Bellatrix, get our girl…save the wizarding world?”  
  
Elle smiled wearily. “And then we never have to see each other again?” she asked, holding out her hand.  
  
Harry bit his lip and nodded. “Deal,” he concurred, shaking her hand.  
  
Elle dropped her hands to her side and sighed, smoothing down the corners of her dress and adjusting her spaghetti strap sleeves.  
  
“Okay Mr. Head Auror,” she said slightly, gripping her wand tightly. “Where to first?”  
  


* * *

 

Calla ran blindly throughout the Ministry, not having a clue as to where she was or where she should be going. She dashed through the Auror offices, hoping to run into Ron or Hermione, but the entire floor seemed to be deserted. Desperate and confused, she dashed to the lifts and pressed frantically on the buttons.  
  
The lift clattered into place and Calla dashed inside, slamming the golden grilles shut. She turned around (half wanting to just huddle in a little ball and hide in the elevator for the rest of the night), and promptly bumped into Draco Malfoy, who was standing in the corner of the lift with Kevin and Michael’s Aunt Ginny.  
  
“Ouch!” she cried, falling to the floor.  
  
Malfoy whipped around in suspicion. “Who’s there?” he snapped.  
  
Calla sighed and whipped off the cloak. “Me,” she muttered.  
  
Ginny gasped. “Calla!” she cried, bending down to help the girl up. “What happened to you, are you alright? Do your parents know you’re here? Where are they?”  
  
“I’m fine,” Calla replied, suddenly embarrassed for being so out of breath and wearing a nightgown. “I was in the Safe Room with my mum and dad, but we accidentally used a cell phone which deactivated the protection spells. And then Bellatrix found us, and my mum and dad went to hold her off while I escaped. I’m supposed to find Ron and Hermione but I don’t know where I’m going and…and…”  
  
“Calm down,” Ginny said, smoothing Calla’s hair and giving her a reassuring grin. “I’m sure your parents are fine. And Ron and Hermione are probably with the other Aurors.”  
  
Calla narrowed her eyes at Malfoy. “What are you doing here?”  
  
Malfoy raised his eyebrows. “Hiding,” he answered simply. “I officially have no dignity left. What are you doing here?”  
  
Calla sighed. “Hiding,” she replied.  
  
Ginny straightened up and pressed a button on the side of the lift. “You better come with us then,” she answered softly.  
  
Calla looked at her, confused. “Why, where are we going?”  
  
Malfoy rolled his eyes. “Only the best hiding place in the world,” he muttered.  
  
Calla was still confused. “Okay. Which is….”  
  
“The Department of Mysteries.”  
  



	7. The Flood, The Fear, and The Fire

_“There is a room in the Department of Mysteries that is kept locked at all times. It contains a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than the forces of nature. It is also, perhaps, the most mysterious of the many subjects for study that reside there.”  
-Albus Dumbledore_   
  


* * *

 

“So, what exactly is in the Department of Mysteries?” Elle asked, as her and Harry slowly made their descent in the elevator. “And why are we looking there first, of all places?”  
  
Harry sighed. “Well, the Ministry is pretty big. I figure it’s best we start from the ground up…”  
  
“At least we can rule out the Safe Room…and the courtrooms…” Elle interrupted, twirling her hair mindlessly. She caught Harry’s exasperated glance and winced. “Sorry. Continue.”  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. “As I was saying, before I was so RUDELY interrupted…we can start there, and then make our way through the Atrium and all the other floors. We’ll end with the Minister of Magic’s office, but I’m pretty sure we’ll find her before then. She can’t Apparate out of here, and she can’t hide forever…”  
  
“Besides,” Elle said, sighing gloomily. “The night is almost over. Soon people will be reporting for work, and when they find out a mass murderer is loose in the Ministry, all hell’s gonna break…” She caught the look on Harry’s face once more and fell silent. “Sorry.”  
  
“ANYWAY,” Harry grumbled, tapping his foot. He really wished this elevator would move faster. “There’s a lot of weird stuff in the Department of Mysteries. There’s this odd wall full of timeturners…you might want to stay away from that, knowing you, you’d stumble into it. There’s also a tank full of brains that will strangle you if you touch them, you might want to stay away from those as well. In fact, why don’t you just wait for me outside and I’ll go in alone?”  
  
“Not a chance,” Elle glared, gripping her wand tightly. “I’m coming.”  
  
“I can’t believe you’ve never been to the Department of Mysteries before,” Harry said.  
  
“Why would I go down there? I never had a reason to, and it’s not like they just allow anyone inside, only the Unspeakables…you’re the only person I know who’s ever explored that place,” Elle explained. "Well, you, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna."  
  
“I know,” Harry said quietly. “I just figured since you’re so nosy, you wouldn’t let a simple rule like that stop you.”  
  
Elle grinned. “I guess you and I don’t pay much attention to rules.”  
  
Harry nodded. “One of the few things we have in common.”  
  
The elevator finally came to a halt. Harry and Elle both quietly lit their wands and stepped out into the dark corridor. All was quiet. Elle breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
“I don’t know what’s worse,” she whispered to Harry as they made their way past the empty courtrooms, including the one they had ruined. “Being greeted by Bellatrix, or being greeted by silence.”  
  
“Silence, definitely,” Harry whispered back. “Come on, it’s this way…”  
  
As they crept through the plain corridor and approached the black door, Harry couldn’t help feeling overcome with dread. He hadn’t visited this place since his fifth year at Hogwarts, but he would never forget the painful events that had occurred here. Luckily, he had been able to avoid it during his years employed at the Ministry. Until now.  
  
They stopped in front of the door and stood for a beat, staring up at it. Elle took a deep breath.  
  
“Ready?” she asked, with forced confidence. She saw the look on Harry’s face and gave his hand an involuntary squeeze. Harry looked down at his hand in a sort of dazed confusion.  
  
“Hey,” Elle said softly. “It’s going to be okay.”  
  
“Elle,” Harry said slowly, staring into her eyes. “This is where…”  
  
“Where your godfather died,” she finished, and this time, Harry did not mind the interruption. “I know. Let’s not let it be the place where Calla dies too.”  
  
This sentence seemed to renew Harry’s resolve. Elle let go of his hand, and with a forceful shove, the black door swung open.  
  
Slowly, they entered the large circular room surrounded by doors- the black marble floor beneath them made Harry feel as though he were standing over a dark, placid lake. Torches with blue flames burned eerily around them. It was exactly as Harry remembered it.   
  
“Shut the door,” Harry murmured to Elle quietly. “And don’t freak out.”  
  
“Why would I…oh!” Elle gasped, as the wall immediately started to spin. She grasped Harry’s shoulder in panic, and then immediately let go as she realized what she had done.  
  
After a moment or two, the wall stopped revolving, and Harry gazed steadfastly at the two doors standing directly across from them. Elle narrowed her eyes.  
  
“Well, that was sufficiently creepy,” she whispered bitterly. “Now we’ll never be able to find our way out.”  
  
“Not really my concern right now,” Harry said slowly. “Although I think I know how it works. Let’s just pick a door.”  
  
They both moved forward, stopping in front of the door that was slightly to their left. Harry looked back at Elle, and she nodded. Harry sighed, and pushed the door ajar.  
  
Harry did not really know what he had been expecting, but he certainly did not expect to see yet another empty corridor. This time, torches flickered ruby red against the stone walls, and Harry had to close his eyes- the contrast between all these blazing primary colors was giving him a headache.  
  
“Where to now?” Elle asked, her forehead creasing.  
  
Harry shrugged. “Don’t know. I’ve never been in this room before. Let’s just move forward, I guess.”  
  
As they advanced through the doorless hallway, the walls seemed to widen, and soon Harry could see tables lined up against them, holding cast-iron cauldrons that bubbled and hissed. Breathing in deep, Harry could smell the sweet scent that seemed to emanate from their depths- it smelled like flowers, cotton candy, and what he imagined the sun would smell like if he could see it up close. With a jolt, Harry realized that the potion brewing inside the cauldrons was none other than Amortentia, the love potion. He could just make out the swirling spirals rising before him throughout the hazy hallway.  
  
Harry glanced at Elle, whose eyes were closed and who appeared to be breathing in deep. He dearly wanted to know what scents she smelled right now.  
  
They kept going, and began to encounter strange sights and sounds, in addition to the smells. First, they were greeted by a flock of white doves fluttering softly above their heads, followed calmly by a swarm of fireflies that softly grazed their arms and cheeks as they flurried past. Music, most likely harps and violins, sounded out eerily from the walls, as though the very stones themselves were composing private symphonies just for them. Harry turned to Elle, and she gazed back at him sleepily.  
  
“I like this place,” she said calmly, as if she were in a state of utter peace. Harry too was starting to feel slightly copasetic, but he knew there had to be a catch.  
  
“Stay alert,” he warned, holding his wand tighter. “We don’t know what’s waiting at the end of this hallway.”  
  
“But Harry, you have to admit,” Elle whispered, gazing fondly at the lingering fireflies. “It could’ve been worse. We could’ve picked the room with the brains.”  
  
Harry frowned. He thought he had seen most of the what the Department of Mysteries had to offer back in his fifth year. He had seen the Hall of Prophecy, the rooms where they studied thoughts, time, and space, and most importantly of all, the room where they studied death. But of course, there was one room he had yet to discover…  
  
“Dumbledore mentioned this place to me once,” Harry confided to Elle, as she looked at him curiously. “He said there was a room within the Department of Mysteries that was kept locked at all times, where they studied something powerful and mysterious…”  
  
Elle nodded. “Of course. This makes sense, then.”  
  
Harry raised his eyebrows. “It does? What could be more powerful and mysterious than death, or time, or space?”  
  
Elle smiled sagely. “What else? Love.”  
  
They had finally reached the end of the hallway, and sure enough, they were faced with another plain black door. Harry fully expected this to be the locked door that Dumbledore had referred to, but Elle easily pushed it open with a slight nudge of her hand.  
  
Harry anticipated more lovely-dovey stuff, like confetti or cupids, but his expectations conflicted with reality once more. This next room was bare, with stone floors and walls, and two or three ruby-red torches. A few desks with various potions and vials stood near the walls. The door closed behind Elle, and they were bathed in semi-darkness. At once, Harry’s sedated, happy feeling ended.  
  
“Lumos,” Elle whispered, lighting her wand. Harry did the same, and cast his wand around the room. He saw a figure standing by the door, and jumped.  
  
“Hi Harry! Didn’t expect to see you here.”  
  
Harry narrowed his eyes. He recognized that voice, though he hadn’t heard it in quite a while.  
  
“Luna?” he asked slowly. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“I work here,” she replied calmly, coming closer to Harry and Elle. In the light, Harry could see that Luna Lovegood hadn’t changed a bit, her long blonde hair shone bright and curly, her skin was pale and alive with curiosity, and a pair of vibrant colored earrings hung from her ears. As she swiveled her head to the side, peering at Harry in silence, he could see that the earrings were composed of tiny jewels.  
  
“I’m an Unspeakable, remember?” she prompted Harry, smiling kindly.  
  
Harry cleared his throat and nodded. “Right. Of course. I knew that. I just didn’t expect to see you here, at this time.”  
  
“Likewise,” Luna grinned. “Though I guess this has something to do with your…ahem…divorce?” She looked at Elle, and even though she wasn’t being rude, Elle looked a little affronted.  
  
“Does EVERYONE in the Ministry know about our divorce?” Elle grumbled to Harry.  
  
“Rumors have a way of spreading fast around here,” Luna explained. “Even those of us who don’t see much of the upstairs world know the gossip.”  
  
Elle rolled her eyes.  
  
“Actually,” Luna continued, staring at the both of them with her wide, searching eyes. “I’m surprised I haven’t seen the two of you down here sooner.”  
  
Elle frowned. “Why?”  
  
“Well, considering what we do down here, we get a lot of couples seeking help with their relationships. People seeking potions to get someone to fall in love with them, potions to make someone fall out of love with them, spells to attract wayward lovers, charms to enchant appearances, curses to get back at those who were unfaithful…potions that will help save a marriage…”  
  
Harry swallowed uneasily. “But how do people know about this place? I didn’t even know about it, and I’m Head Auror!”  
  
Luna hesitated. “Well…it’s not something we advertise, exactly. But when people are desperate enough, they find a way to seek out what they need.”  
  
Elle chewed on her lip. “So, have you ever helped anyone?” Luna gave her a look. Elle glanced down at her feet. “I mean, has anybody ever been able to get one of these potions or spells?”  
  
Luna laughed. “Well, what most people don’t seem to realize is, there’s not a spell or potion in the world that can recreate real, true love. We develop potions, spells, and charms…we study the effects they have on certain people and their loved ones…but nothing is ever meant to last, or to act as a substitute for love in its purest form.” Luna smiled serenely. “Not that it ever stops anyone from trying.”  
  
Harry shook his head. “But I thought this room was supposed to be locked at all times, that it was impossible to get in!”  
  
Luna continued smiling, clearly amused at Harry’s befuddlement. “Difficult,” she corrected. “But not impossible.”  
  
She walked the length of the wall, running her hands along the rough, jagged stone. At once, the wall caved in slightly, revealing a golden entranceway. The entranceway had no adornments, other than a plaque located directly above, which had symbols of waves carved into it. Harry and Elle stared at the entranceway in amazement.  
  
“Behind this wall lies the room where we store the most powerful love potions in existence, potions most of the wizarding world has yet to lay their eyes on. Only myself, and a few other Unspeakables, have been able to enter this room. To get there, you must pass through three obstacles,” Luna told them, more serious than Harry had ever seen her. “And when you’re done, you exit through the Death Chamber.”   
  
“What kind of obstacles?” Harry asked, narrowing his eyes. He didn’t like the sound of this- he had gone through more than enough obstacles tonight already.  
  
Luna’s eyes glittered. “I cannot say,” she said sympathetically. “But you will need more than magic to get past them. You will need faith, fortitude, and forgiveness.”  
  
Harry and Elle shared a look. This whole thing sounded absurd. It was like they had started out their night in the Ministry of Magic and ended up in a rose-colored wonderland, where everything was upside-down and nothing made sense.  
  
“And once we get through these obstacles, we have access to these potions?” Elle asked in disbelief. Luna nodded. Elle glanced at Harry. “But how will that help us fight Bellatrix?”  
  
Harry sighed. “It won’t,” he muttered. “I’m sorry Luna, but I think we’ll take a rain check on this whole ‘test of our inner strength’ thing. Bellatrix Lestrange is loose in the Ministry, and she’s after us and our daughter. No offense, I’m sure you’ve been working very hard down here, but I don’t think a fake love potion is going to help.”  
  
Luna laughed. “That’s too bad,” she said, shrugging. “You underestimate the power we contain behind these walls. It may not restore or recreate real love, but it is powerful enough to defeat Bellatrix Lestrange. There is one potion so powerful, that just the thought of a loved one...or a lost loved one...can cause death.”  
  
Harry and Elle stared at her in silence. Harry’s mind was racing. Was Luna telling the truth? Did she even know about Bellatrix and what she was capable of? She had to, she had been a part of the Order…but could this potion she was talking about really have the power to defeat the crazy ex-Death Eater?  
  
“Listen Luna,” Harry said, glancing hastily at his watch. “I appreciate your help, but we’re kind of pressed for time. Even if this potion is powerful enough, we really can’t risk not passing these three obstacles.”  
  
“What happens if you don’t pass them, anyway?” Elle asked Luna.  
  
“Oh,” Luna said, waving her hand mindlessly. “You get trapped inside these walls forever. No big deal.”  
  
Elle raised her eyebrows. “Oh sure,” she said sarcastically. “And how many people have made it past, exactly?”  
  
“Hmm,” Luna said, counting on her fingers. “Two or three…one person was so close, but just couldn’t get past the third obstacle. But then again…” she said, grinning slyly. “None of them were the famous Harry Potter.”  
  
Elle groaned, but Harry was starting to look at the entranceway in thought. If he and Elle could get past the obstacles and get the potion without wasting too much time, then they could defeat Bellatrix once and for all.  
  
“Luna,” Harry said seriously. “You’re sure this potion or whatever is going to defeat Bellatrix, right?”  
  
“Of course,” Luna replied. “It's been suspected for a few years that Bellatrix was always in love with Voldemort, and her quest for revenge proves that. My team and I designed it so that if one dose of this particular potion is given to an enemy, they die when the name of their loved one is spoken. It only works if used for the proper reasons.”  
  
“And how will we know which potion to use?”  
  
Luna shook her head and smiled. “You’ll know.” She touched Harry lightly on the arm. “Trust me, Harry. I know you want to protect your daughter. I wouldn’t send you on this fool’s errand if I weren’t absolutely sure that it would be worth your while. I, as much as anyone, would like to see Bellatrix Lestrange destroyed forever. And I know you’ll make it past. Your ability to love is strong.”  
  
Elle snorted. Clearly, she disagreed.  
  
“Please Harry,” Elle said fiercely. “Don’t be ridiculous, we don’t have time for this! Calla is out there alone and in danger! We can’t risk being trapped in the Department of Mysteries forever!”  
  
“Come on, Elle,” Harry said. “I’m worried about Calla just as much as you are, but honestly, how bad can these obstacles be? All those things Ron, Hermione, and I have faced over the years…getting to the Sorcerer’s Stone, getting through the Chamber of Secrets, fighting my way through the Triwizard Tournament, plus all those things you and I faced together, such as learning how to swordfight, defeating Voldemort, having Calla…honestly, how can this be any worse?”  
  
Elle mulled over this for a moment, and then gave a defeated sigh. 

“Alright,” she grumbled. She turned towards Luna. “Where do we go first?”  
  
Luna gestured towards the glimmering entranceway. “Right through here,” she gestured. “Oh and one more thing…” She rummaged through the pocket of her robes, and retrieved a single gold key. “Once you get past the obstacles, this key will unlock the door. Do not lose this.”  
  
Harry took the key. “Better let me hold on to this,” he muttered to Elle.

Elle gave him one last scathing look before holding out her wand and turning towards the entranceway. Luna gave them a final, cheery wave.  
  
“Good luck,” she said, as Harry and Elle walked slowly out of sight.  
  


* * *

 

“So what exactly do you think we’re up against here?” Elle asked hesitantly, as her and Harry made their way into the unknown. “Ruthless creatures? Zombies? Annoying ex-husbands?”  
  
Harry tossed her an exasperated look. “Why all this trepidation?” he asked. “You used to be one of the most fearless girls I knew.”  
  
Elle sighed. “I’m just so worried about Calla,” she admitted, and her voice shook. “It’s weird, but ever since I became a mother, bravery is always the last thing on my mind. I’m just scared something is going to happen to her and I’m not going to be there to stop it.”  
  
Harry shook his head. “You can’t think like that,” he told Elle. “Calla is smart, and she has enough bravery for the both of us. You should have more confidence in her.”  
  
Elle bit her lip. “Maybe if you were around more often, I wouldn’t have to worry so much.”  
  
Harry swallowed. She had a point.  
  
“I’m going to fix that,” he promised Elle, and he stopped walking in order to gaze steadfastly into her eyes. “I promise.”  
  
Elle gazed cautiously back at him, but then looked quickly behind her.  
  
“Did you hear that?” she whispered.  
  
Harry held his breath. It sounded like water…rushing towards them…  
  
“Run!” he shouted, just as a huge wave barreled around the corner.  
  
Harry and Elle dashed forward, water licking at their heels and roaring at their backs. It was as if they had just been caught at the forefront of a tsunami. Harry ran as fast as he could, glancing back every few seconds to make sure Elle was still behind him. Before he knew it, however, he ran straight into a brick wall.  
  
“Damn it!” he cursed, pounding on the wall. The wave crashed over them, and both he and Elle hit the floor.  
  
Harry was momentarily dazed, and he could hear more water continuing to swirl above their heads. He grabbed Elle’s arm and pulled her upwards. They both reached the surface, gasping for breath and sucking on air.  
  
“What now?” Elle asked in dread, shaking back her wet hair and glancing upwards. “The ceiling isn’t very high, this place is going to flood!”  
  
Harry looked back towards the way they had come, just in time for another wave to crash right into his face. He caught and held tightly on to his glasses. There was no use- their only way out was forward.  
  
Another wave came hurtling towards them, and the water level rose higher. He and Elle were floating, but soon their heads would hit the ceiling. Harry didn’t know how long Elle could hold her breath, but he definitely knew that he couldn’t hold his long enough for them to find an alternative exit. He racked his brain for spells, but couldn’t come up with any that would get rid of all this water.  
  
“Harry look!” Elle shouted, running her hands over the brick wall. “There’s a keyhole- this must be a door! Here, give me the key!”  
  
She snatched the key out of Harry’s hands, but her fingers were slippery, and as she fumbled for the place where she had seen the lock, Harry watched with dread as the key slipped out of her hand and sank beneath the dark, watery depths.  
  
“Great!” Harry shouted in panic. “Look what you did now, you dropped it!”  
  
Elle looked at her hands in panic. “Oh no…Harry it was an accident, I’m sorry, I didn’t…”  
  
The water rose higher. The tips of Harry’s hair were now brushing against the ceiling.  
  
“We’re running out of time!” he yelled.  
  
“Accio key!” Elle shouted, pointing her wand downwards. It didn’t work. Elle looked up at Harry, a dark expression in her eyes.  
  
“I’ll go get it,” she said, taking a deep breath and preparing to plunge.  
  
“Elle no!” Harry cried, grabbing her shoulders and holding her up. “It’s too dark down there, you won’t be able to see,” he said seriously, brushing her dripping hair out of her eyes.  
  
The water kept rising. A few moments more, and they both would drown. Harry tried the Alohamora charm, the blasting jinx, and everything else he could think of, but nothing worked. The wall remained unresponsive to their desperate efforts.  
  
Harry held onto Elle and closed his eyes. He felt terrible…this whole thing had been a mistake after all.  
  
“Harry,” Elle said sadly, fighting to stay afloat and gasping for the little air they had left. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have dropped the key…this is all my fault…”  
  
“No,” Harry said, holding on to her tightly. “You were just trying to help, it was an accident.” He smiled and tilted his head, trying to keep his mouth above water. “Even as a mother, you have more courage than you think.”  
  
Elle gave him a weak smile. “Thanks,” she whispered.  
  
Water kept pressing in on their bodies, forcing them closer together. Harry gripped Elle’s shoulders tightly.  
  
“On the count of three, we hold our breath,” he commanded, and Elle nodded. “One…two…three.”  
  
They both sucked in their breath and went under. For a moment, all was black. And then, miraculously, the brick wall opened up, and all the water in the room poured out. The force of the rushing water pushed them into the next room, and soon it had all disappeared, leaving Harry and Elle shivering and soaking on the hard stone floor.  
  
Elle coughed and gathered her limp hair into a ponytail.

“Why,” she gasped, twisting her hair and wringing it out, “does every encounter with you always have to involve me being doused with icy cold water?”  
  
Harry shook his shaggy black hair out of his eyes and stood up. 

“That truly was a horrifying obstacle,” he joked. “I mean, what’s worse than spending the rest of the night in wet underwear?”  
  
Elle laughed. “Add chafing to our growing list of problems.”  
  
Harry chuckled and held out his hand. “Come on,” he said, helping Elle up off of the floor. “Let’s see what’s next. One down, two to go.”  
  
“Harry wait,” Elle said, scanning the floor in a panic. “The key isn’t here…it must have been washed away…”  
  
“Don’t sweat it,” Harry said carelessly. “It’ll turn up. We’re wasting time by staying here.”  
  
Elle sighed. “For the record,” she muttered, as her and Harry commenced on their journey. “I never want to do this again.”  
  


* * *

 

“Are you sure this is the best hiding place?” Calla asked uneasily, looking around at the various shelves.  
  
The three of them were huddled in a dark and dusty corner in the Hall of Prophecy, surrounded by rows upon rows of glowing glass orbs. Calla thought it was rather creepy, but she supposed it was better than being out in the open, where that scary Bellatrix woman could snatch her away at a moment’s notice. She didn’t entirely trust this Malfoy, but she felt better being with Ginny, who seemed to know what she was doing.  
  
Ginny looked down at Calla and grinned reassuringly. “This place doesn’t hold the best of memories for Bellatrix Lestrange,” she explained grimly. “I can’t guarantee that this is the best place to be, but it will suit our needs for the meantime.” Ginny sighed. “Besides,” she added, “thanks to your father, I know a very good escape route if the need arises.”  
  
Calla nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. “How long do you think we’ll be here?” she asked miserably.  
  
Ginny shrugged. “I’m not sure,” she answered, as lightheartedly as possible, “But if we get hungry, we can always kill and eat Draco.”  
  
Malfoy sneered at the both of them. “Charming,” he said haughtily to Ginny, with a toss of his hair. “Is cannibalism some fancy, foreign technique that your new husband taught you?”  
  
Ginny smiled patiently. “He’s taught me a lot of things.”  
  
Malfoy scowled. Calla bit her lip and stared at the two of them.  
  
“How do you guys know each other?” she asked curiously.  
  
Ginny and Draco shared a look.  
  
“We went to school together,” Ginny said, after a long moment of silence. “And we used to hate each other, but in our last few years at Hogwarts we became, well, sort of like friends.”  
  
Malfoy sighed. “Ginny was the only person who could tolerate me at that point,” he supplied, his voice wandering. “I was kind of lost…my father had died, my friends had deserted me, my entire family supported the Dark Side…everyone at Hogwarts either couldn’t trust me, or couldn’t stand to be around me.”  
  
“Frankly, there were times I couldn’t stand to be around you either,” Ginny said matter-of-factly. “For all of your moodiness and solitude, you still managed to be exceedingly arrogant.”  
  
“And you were the only one tough enough to put up with it,” Malfoy smirked.  
  
“The only one stupid enough, you mean,” Ginny challenged.  
  
Calla looked back and forth between them in confusion. “So what happened?” she asked.  
  
Malfoy’s expression darkened. “That’s a damn good question,” he muttered. “Why don’t you ask the woman who ran off and married a complete stranger?”  
  
Ginny laughed derisively. “Oh please!” she exclaimed. “Why don’t you ask the lazy rascal who ran off to America and slept with a dozen complete strangers?”  
  
Malfoy’s smirk grew wider. “Oh, it was more than a dozen,” he replied rakishly.  
  
Calla shook her head. She had heard more than her fair share of bickering adults, and these two didn’t exactly make the best babysitters.  
  
“Sorry I asked,” she muttered. She sighed again, and buried her head in her hands, though she wasn’t exactly tired. Her nap in the Safe Room and the rude awakening that had accompanied it left her feeling wide-awake.  
  
Ginny smiled softly and wrapped her arm around Calla, ignoring Malfoy for the time being.  
  
“Everything’s going to be okay,” she told Calla softly. “Your parents know what they’re doing, Ron and Hermione and the rest of the Aurors know what they’re doing, and I’m going to make sure Malfoy doesn’t screw things up even more…figuratively speaking.”  
  
Malfoy rolled his eyes. Calla looked up and bit her lip. She shared the same habits as her mother of biting her lips and playing with her hair when she was nervous.   
  
“I know,” she said. “It’s just…”  
  
Ginny tilted her head. “Just what?”  
  
Calla fiddled with the invisibility cloak she held in her hands, running her fingers gently through the soft fabric.  
  
“I just wish that I were as brave as my parents,” she whispered to Ginny. “And that I could help them more. I mean, I know I’m supposed to be fearless, being the daughter of the ‘famous’ Harry Potter and all that…but most of the time I just feel scared. I worry about everything, I hardly know any spells, I trip over my own two feet all the time, and I feel like when I go to Hogwarts, everyone is going to expect me to be something I’m not. They’re going to think I’m courageous and brilliant, and when they see how much of a freak I really am, they’re all going to laugh at me.”  
  
Calla stopped and took a deep breath. She hadn’t meant to tell Ginny all of this, but everything she had been thinking for the past few weeks had just come spilling out on its own. With Hogwarts coming closer and closer every day, she couldn’t help but grow anxious over how people were going to react to her presence. Everyone knew whom Harry Potter and Elle Levine were. How could she ever compare?  
  
Ginny frowned. “Calla, how could you think that you’re a freak? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard! Have you spoken to your parents about this?”  
  
Calla shrugged. “I’ve told my mum a few times…as for my dad, well…you know how often I see him.” Calla took a deep a breath. “If I don’t get into Gryffindor, if I don’t play Quidditch or do all of the amazing things that he did at Hogwarts, I feel like he’s going to be so disappointed in me.”  
  
Ginny laughed lightly. “Calla, your father could never be disappointed in you, not in a million years! You’re his favorite person in the world, I work with him in the Ministry and I know firsthand just how much he talks about you and adores you. You could do nothing but sit on your bum in the girl’s toilet for a year and he would be ecstatic! Trust me.”  
  
Calla giggled.  
  
“And believe me Calla…coming from a girl who grew up with six older brothers, you are one of the bravest people I’ve ever met. You’re going to be a hit at Hogwarts,” Ginny told her confidently.  
  
Calla grinned. “Thanks Ginny,” she whispered.  
  
“And if you  _do_  happen to get sorted into Slytherin…” Malfoy drawled. “That wouldn’t be so terrible.”  
  
Calla grimaced. She hoped they were right. And she hoped that her parents, wherever they were, were concentrating on getting rid of Bellatrix rather than fighting and bickering to death.  
  


* * *

 

The air grew steadily colder as Elle and Harry made their way down the damp corridor, but that could have just been because they were soaking wet from the freaky, indoor typhoon that had almost drowned them. Harry turned his head to look at Elle and saw with a start that her lips were blue, and that her teeth were chattering.  
  
“Here,” he said gently, pointing his wand at her. Hot air billowed out from the tip, and soon Elle’s dress was dry.  
  
Elle looked up at him gratefully. “Thanks,” she said. “That feels better.”  
  
It felt weird, but…Elle was actually kind of glad that Harry was here with her. Usually she would detest the fact that she was stuck in the same room with him for a prolonged period of time, but for once, they weren’t bickering or fighting. Instead, they were actually working together, and helping each other. Elle had to admit, it felt kind of nice. And, not that she wanted to jump to any assumptions, but Elle had a feeling that Harry was enjoying her company as well.  
  
Harry dried his own clothes, just in time for them to come upon their second entranceway of the evening. This one also glittered a golden hue, but carved on top were the images of two skulls, their eyes sunken and hollow. Elle, even though she was now dry, couldn’t help but get goosebumps at the sight of them.  
  
“Uh oh,” she whispered to Harry. “This doesn’t look good. At least water I could deal with, but this…this could be anything.”  
  
Harry sighed. “Well,” he said gamely, “there’s only one way to find out.” He nudged Elle’s shoulder and gave her a reassuring grin. “Come on,” he urged her. “We’re in this together.”  
  
Elle bit her lip and smiled. She had forgotten how nice it felt to hear Harry say those words. She didn’t want to think about how it could be the last time she would ever hear them.  
  
Together, they walked through the entranceway, and almost immediately darkness descended upon them. Before Elle had a chance to panic, Harry lit his wand.  
  
“They’ve really got to work on their special effects,” he muttered.

Elle laughed, and lit her wand as well.  
  
“We should have seen something by now,” Elle said quietly, as they continued walking through the inky blackness. “Like a trap…or an ambush…or a…”  
  
All at once, an eerie, cloaked figure came swooping down before them, and the room immediately turned icy.  
  
“…A dementor.”  
  
“Alright,” Harry said, pushing up his sleeves and readying his wand. He tried to ignore the feeling of dread in his stomach, the cold sweat on his forehead, or the distant sounds of screams rushing through his ears. “I’ll deal with him, you go on ahead. Let me know what you find.”  
  
Elle nodded and held her wand out in front of her carefully as she tiptoed cautiously forward. Normally she would hate splitting up, but Harry was a lot better at dealing with dementors than she was.  
  
However, dementors were a lot more preferable to the sight she came upon next. Elle took one look down at the floor, and let out a bloodcurdling scream.  
  
The scream reached Harry, and automatically all the hairs on his body stood on end. Whatever Elle had seen, it had to be pretty bad.  
  
“Expecto Patronum!” Harry shouted, trying his best to conjure up a memory of a newborn Calla being placed in his arms, and a white stag shot out of his wand, charging down the dementor. 

He ran up behind Elle, and his heart sank as he saw what she was gazing at.   
  
“No…” he whispered in shock.  
  
There, on the floor, was Calla’s dead body…still and silent, and covered in blood. Elle sank down to her knees, wrapping Calla’s body in her arms and rocking back and forth. Tears were running down her face.  
  
“How?” Elle sobbed, looking up at Harry mournfully. “How did this happen?”  
  
Harry shook his head. This didn’t make any sense. How in the world could Calla have found her way in here? He didn’t want to entertain the notion that Calla could be dead just yet. It was too painful…there had to be an explanation…  
  
“Elle,” he said slowly, touching her shoulder. “Move aside, let me see…”  
  
“No!” Elle screamed, clinging to Calla’s body tighter. “No, I’m not leaving her.”  
  
“Elle!” Harry commanded, trying to gather his wits about him. “Think about it, there’s no way Calla or Bellatrix could have managed to get past here, Luna would never have let them in!”  
  
Elle shook her head and continued sobbing. It didn’t seem as if she had even heard him.  
  
With all of his might, Harry forced Elle to her feet and knelt down beside Calla. The second Elle had moved out of the way, Calla’s dead body vanished. In its place was a floating, daunting dementor.  
  
“What?” Elle gasped, her tear-streaked face bathed in shock. “How…”  
  
Harry stood back up. “Of course,” he whispered. “It’s a boggart.”  
  
Elle blinked, a relief washing over her that was so powerful, she felt weak in the knees. “A boggart? Are you sure?”  
  
Harry nodded. “Yes,” he said, his breath coming out icy. He could once again hear screams…screams of his mother, cries from his father, desperate pleas from Elle and his daughter…they all consumed some of his worst memories. “This room is testing our deepest, darkest fears. We have to fight them.”  
  
“Ridikkulus!” they both shouted together, pointing their wands at the faux dementor. The dementor staggered backwards, and quickly disappeared into a wisp of smoke.  
  
Harry turned to Elle, and before he knew it, she had collapsed in his arms.  
  
“I’m sorry,” she said, crying into his shoulder. “That was the scariest moment of my entire life. I really thought she was dead, I didn’t know what to do…”  
  
“I know,” Harry said, holding her close and running his hand through her hair. “I was scared too.”  
  
Elle sniffed. “You must think I’m so stupid,” she muttered into Harry’s shirtsleeve. “All those years of Auror training, where we’re told to keep a cool head and not panic, and what do I do? I completely lose it.”  
  
“Hey,” Harry said lightly, patting her on the back. “Anyone else would have done the same thing. All the training in the world can never prepare us for seeing our loved ones hurt or in danger.”  
  
Elle sighed and broke away from Harry, wiping her eyes bitterly. “You didn’t panic though,” she said, a tad accusingly.  
  
“On the inside I did, trust me,” Harry admitted. “But one of us had to stay calm. And in those moments when I’m the one whose freaking out, you’re the one who has to stay calm. It all balances out.”  
  
Elle nodded and took a couple of slow, deep breaths. Even though she was relieved, she was still worried. She had no idea where in the Ministry Calla was.  
  
“Okay,” she said. “I’m ready for the last obstacle. And then let’s destroy Bellatrix.”  
  
“That’s the spirit!” Harry said encouragingly. “I can’t wait to go back to hating you.”  
  
“Likewise.”  
  
And so they carried on, this time with a renewed sense of confidence. The worst seemed to be over, and Harry and Elle were both ready to get out of the Department of Mysteries and get their daughter back. Harry kept his eyes focused solely in front of them as they made their way towards the third and final entranceway. He tried not to notice the numerous piles of skeletons that seemed to be piling up, bags of bones that were slumped against the walls. Elle noticed them and shuddered.  
  
“I guess we know what happened to those who didn’t make it through,” she murmured, kicking aside a stray skeleton bone.  
  
Harry gave her a look. “That’s not going to be us,” he swore to Elle. “Trust me.”  
  
Elle sighed. She wanted to trust him, she really did.  
  
The third entranceway loomed dauntingly before them. Harry glanced immediately at the carving located directly above their heads, their only clue as to what lay before them, what sorts of horrors were hidden within the stone walls. This time, instead of waves and skulls, he saw the etchings of flames. He turned to Elle, eyebrows raised.  
  
“This is it,” he said, brushing back his hair. “Ready?”  
  
Elle swallowed, and nodded. “Ready.”  
  
They stepped under the entranceway, and within a few steps, found themselves in a round, enclosed room. There were no windows, and only one door, which glimmered innocently only a few feet away. Harry looked quickly behind him, but the entranceway had already sealed itself. The two of them were locked inside the room.  
  
Elle saw something out of the corner of her eye, and looked down at her feet. Her heart leapt.  
  
“The key!” she exclaimed, bending down and retrieving the key that had been washed away earlier in the flood. She gave it to Harry. “You’d better hold on to it this time.”  
  
“Thanks,” Harry said. And then- “Oh, shit.”  
  
Bright orange flames immediately shot up and formed a fiery circle around the room, blocking their path to the door. The flames were high and menacing; they licked the ceiling and flared out at them- the fire seemed angry and alive.  
  
Harry and Elle looked at each other uneasily. Harry didn’t know how in the world to get them out of this, but he had a feeling that it would take a lot more than an extinguishing spell.  
  



	8. The Future

Sweat dripped steadily down Harry’s forehead as he and Elle both glanced frantically around the burning room. The flames seemed to grow angrier by the second, and their width was expanding. Within minutes, the entire room would be engulfed, and the center of the room where Harry and Elle were currently standing would soon go up in smoke. None of the spells they attempted were working- the fire appeared impervious to water, foam, and sand.

“Elle, try your wandless magic!” Harry shouted, backing up a few steps as the flames threatened to burn the tips of his sneakers.  
  
Elle backed up as well. Her face was terribly flushed. “Harry…I don’t know if I can…”  
  
Harry sighed. Elle had always been self-conscious and doubtful of her abilities. She swore that her powers would only get her into trouble, and she had hardly ever used them.  
  
“Please Elle,” he urged, looking desperately at her through his ash-covered glasses. “Just try.”  
  
Elle took a deep breath and faced the fire. She closed her eyes and held out her hands, deep in concentration. Harry could see her lips moving slightly, and soon sparks of cold mist could be seen floating freely from her fingertips.  
  
“That’s it!” Harry said excitedly, watching the icy wind as it traveled toward the flames. “Keep going!”

However, Harry’s excitement was short-lived. The cold air only made the fire stronger, and suddenly a spark shot out at Elle in retaliation. Elle turned her head at the last minute, and before Harry knew it, the bottom of her hair had caught on fire.  
  
Before he had time to think, before Elle even had a chance to scream, Harry whipped off his shirt and swatted it against Elle’s back. He soon succeeded in putting out the fire, and Elle gazed up at him shakily.  
  
“Thanks,” she whispered, gathering her hair and examining the burnt edges. The fire had managed to turn the entire bottom half of her hair black, and it looked eerie and dead against its vibrant, blonde counterpart.   
  
“I’m sorry,” Harry said. “It doesn’t look that bad…”  
  
Elle laughed. “It’s just hair,” she shrugged, letting it fall against her back once more. “It was time for a haircut anyway.”  
  
They both faced the fire again, and Elle sighed resignedly. She knew her powers wouldn’t work. She tried to think hard about the instructions Luna had given them. Apparently, these weren’t ordinary challenges. The flood wouldn’t recede until Harry and Elle had forgiven each other…the fear hadn’t been vanquished until Harry and Elle had worked together…and the Fire wouldn’t be put out until…until…  
  
Elle swallowed, and turned to Harry.

“Kiss me,” she breathed.  
  
Harry looked at her as though she was mental.

“What?” he asked, positive he hadn’t heard her correctly. Without thinking, he inhaled a lungful of smoke and then choked.  
  
Elle rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t have to mean anything,” she insisted. “But I really think it will put out the fire.”  
  
The flames shot at them again, and they both stepped closer together. Harry’s heart was beating unusually fast. Why did kissing Elle seem so much harder than fighting the fire?  
  
“How will me kissing you put out the fire?” Harry asked warily.  
  
“I don’t know,” Elle stammered. She coughed too, and wiped beads of sweat from her forehead. “But this isn’t ordinary fire. Magic won’t work. We have to prove…uh…something.” She looked up at Harry tensely. “I brought a breath mint!” she added weakly, as though that would convince him.  
  
Harry gritted his teeth, and glanced at the fire. Any minute now, the flames would char their bodies to ashes. He had to do something. Even if it was something crazy.  
  
“Okay,” he said, and he moved closer to Elle awkwardly. He gazed down at her sweaty, ash-covered face. All these years, and his heart still beat frantically just looking at her.   
  
He planned on giving her a quick peck, but a sudden fireball lunging out from the fire made him unconsciously grab her out of the way. Then, without thinking, he pulled her towards him by the waist and kissed her.  
  
The moment their lips touched, Elle could feel the fire slowly back away, but she didn’t dare open her eyes. She had thought kissing Harry after everything they had been through would be unpleasant, but it was…well, she didn’t exactly know what it was. But it was far from unpleasant. The way he had grabbed her so aggressively, yet kissed her so tenderly…it reminded her of their very first kiss in the hospital wing at Hogwarts.   
  
Harry too could feel the fire dying into smoldering embers on the ground, but he only gripped Elle tighter. Kissing her made him feel things he hadn’t felt in years. In the back of his mind, he knew he should stop. Any longer, and Elle would accuse him of being mushy. But he couldn’t help it. After years of feeling like all he did was make mistakes and mess things up, this was the only thing that felt right.  
  
Reluctantly, after what felt like hours and seconds all at once, Harry and Elle broke apart. They looked up at each other breathlessly, and then glanced around the room. The fire was gone.  
  
“We did it!” Elle gasped, her face beaming. “We didn’t die!”  
  
Harry tried hard to control his breathing. He felt exhilarated too, but it had nothing to do with the fire. Elle looked up at him, her face shining, and Harry realized far too late that he was still holding on to her. He quickly let go.  
  
“Yeah,” he murmured, running a hand through his messy hair. “We did it.”  
  
Elle swallowed and walked towards the other side of the room, pretending to be preoccupied with finding the door. Truthfully, she just didn’t want Harry to see her face, for fear of betraying her feelings. She wondered if he had felt the same. Then she remembered the ease with which he had signed the divorce papers, and shook her head. What was she thinking? He probably hadn’t felt a damn thing.  
  
“Here it is,” she said, finally reaching the other side. She glanced over at Harry, who was still standing on the other side of the room as if in a daze. “Are you coming? I did give you the key.”  
  
Harry quickly snapped out of his reverie. He cleared his throat and threw his shirt back on.

“Right,” he said, jogging back to Elle’s side. He fished around in his pocket for the key. “Here,” he said, dropping it into her outstretched hand.   
  
She grinned and unlocked the door. Right away, Harry knew that they had reached their destination at last. On a golden table directly in front of them lay a small bottle of potion. Other than the table, the room was empty except for two gilt-edged mirrors standing in opposite corners of the room. Harry and Elle shared a look.  
  
“After you,” he gestured. Elle took a deep breath and lifted the potion tenderly in her hands. Clear liquid sloshed around in a glass vial. There seemed to be just enough for one person.  
  
“Do you think this will be enough for Bellatrix?” Elle asked warily, examining the potion closely in her hands. “This looks like the medicine I give Calla when she’s sick.”  
  
Harry grinned. “She hates that medicine,” he said. “Hopefully for Bellatrix, it will taste just as bad going down.”

Elle shook her head, examining the blackened tips of her blonde hair. “I still don’t understand,” she said. “How is a love potion supposed to defeat Bellatrix?”  
  
Harry tried to remember everything Dumbledore had told him about the power of love. “I had power over Voldemort,” he explained slowly. “Because I could love. When he tried to possess me, in this very Ministry, he wasn’t able to. My feelings over Sirius were too much for him.”  
  
Elle nodded. “I see,” she said. “The only thing Bellatrix ever cared about was Voldemort, as sickening as that sounds. Now that he’s gone, the idea of love could actually…actually kill her.”  
  
Harry took her hand. “Come on, let’s go, let’s save our daughter,” he said.  
  
Elle nodded, and allowed herself to be pulled from the room. However, after passing by one of the mirrors, she stopped in her tracks.  
  
“What?” she whispered, letting go of Harry’s hand and walking slowly towards the mirror in the corner.  
  
Harry turned to see where she was going and sighed.

“Elle, come on, you said yourself it was just hair!” he cried exasperatedly.  
  
“No, it’s not that,” Elle said quietly. “This isn’t my refection…this is yours.”  
  
“No way,” Harry said, and he walked to the mirror opposite of Elle’s. Then, he too stopped in his tracks. “Whoa.”  
  
Elle was in the mirror. But it wasn’t Elle as she looked now. She looked older, and sadder. Harry looked down and saw writing at the bottom of the mirror. There was written one word… _Future._  
  
“I think,” Harry said to Elle, “That this mirror shows the future. But it doesn’t show our own future, it shows the future of the other person in the room.”  
  
Elle nodded, but continued to gaze at the mirror, transfixed. Harry didn’t want to look, but he couldn’t help it. He looked back into the glass. There was Elle, looking tired, dejected, but still just every bit as beautiful as ever. She looked as though she had recently been crying. Suddenly, an older Hermione walked into the frame. Harry narrowed his eyes in concentration, but jumped when the reflections in the mirror began to speak. He looked over at the real Elle, but she hadn’t moved. It seemed as though only Harry could hear what was happening in his mirror.   
  
 _“Ready?” asked mirror Hermione. “It’s time to pick the kids up from King’s Cross.”_  
  
 _Mirror Elle nodded. “I can’t believe Calla just finished her fourth year,” she replied wistfully._  
  
 _Hermione looked around. “Isn’t Harry coming with us?” she asked._

_Elle shook her head. “Harry and I are supposed to alternate summers with Calla,” she said quietly. “But now he just doesn’t bother anymore. He can’t get over what happened between us, he says he feels like he failed Calla and I.” Elle laughed bitterly. “To tell the truth, sometimes I can’t get over it either.”_  
  
 _Hermione frowned. “You know Elle, you’re still young. Maybe it’s time to start seeing other people. Harry’s my best friend, but you can’t just throw away your life because your marriage failed.”_  
  
 _Elle sighed. “You’re right, Hermione,” she said, smiling slightly. “I should move on. Calla is a teenager; she doesn’t exactly need me to take care of her anymore. I just wish…”_  
  
 _She trailed off, and wiped a tear from her eye. Hermione looked her sadly. Elle shook her head and stood up._  
  
 _“Never mind,” she said, gathering up her stuff. “Let’s go.”_  
  
The images in the mirror faded. Harry waited to see if there would be more, but there wasn’t. He sighed, and ran another hand through his hair. If that was Elle’s future, then her and Calla were obviously safe. Harry had succeeded in protecting his family. But he had also succeeded in abandoning them, too guilt ridden about the mistakes and lies he had made to try to make things right.  
  
Meanwhile, Elle was feeling equally sorry for Harry’s future. She had seen him in his Auror uniform, surrounded by newspapers that named him as the most famous Auror the world had ever seen. But he didn’t have the usual swagger and bravado he had come to adopt over the years. He looked lonely. He kicked the newspapers aside with his feet while staring at a photograph of Elle and Calla. He looked older, and if Elle was seeing things correctly, full of regret. 

Elle raised a finger, and the glass in the mirror shattered. The noise made Harry jump.  
  
“Let’s go,” she said authoritatively, once again striding towards the door, but this time leading the way. “We’re wasting time.”  
  
Harry ran to keep up with her. He was having a hard time reading the expression on her face. All the exhilaration he had felt while kissing her seemed to have disappeared.  
  
“What did you see in that mirror?” he asked hesitantly.   
  
Elle shook her head. “Doesn’t matter,” she answered vaguely. “I don’t want to talk about it. Why, what did you see?”  
  
“I thought you didn’t want to talk about it.”  
  
Elle took a deep breath. It must have been really bad.  
  
“Fine,” she said, and squeezed the potion tightly in her fist. She wasn’t going to lose anything this time. “Let’s go get Bellatrix.”

 

* * *

 

Calla and Ginny had been talking to each other quietly, with Ginny telling her tons of stories about her and her parents’ adventures at Hogwarts. Malfoy had mostly been sitting sullenly, but kept butting in now and then with snarky, sarcastic comments. Calla may have been imagining it, but she thought she saw Ginny smile whenever Malfoy made a particularly funny retort. Her eyes had certainly glimmered when telling Calla how she and Malfoy had become friends.

But just as Calla was about to press the matter of something going on between them (in the way that only precocious kids are able to do), there came the sound of footsteps on the muffled carpet.  
  
Ginny and Malfoy both sprang to their feet, shielding Calla from sight. They lit their wands at once. Calla cringed, hating the idea of having to be protected.   
  
“Okay,” Ginny said calmly. “On the count of three, we run. Calla, no matter what happens to us, you get out of here, okay?”  
  
Calla nodded. She looked up and was surprised to see that Malfoy seemed just as concerned for her safety as Ginny did. He kept shooting anxious glances down at her. Calla was stunned- she thought he was only interested in saving his own skin. Either that, or he was just trying to impress Ginny.  
  
“You should go with her,” Malfoy muttered to Ginny. “I’m a dead man no matter what.”  
  
“Don’t be stupid,” Ginny whispered. “It’s not going to be that easy to get rid of you.”  
  
Malfoy smirked. The footsteps grew louder. They sounded like heels clipping domineeringly over the floor.  
  
“One…” Ginny hissed, gripping her wand tighter. “Two…”  
  
“Mum!” Calla suddenly shouted, jumping up from the floor.

Elle strode into the room, sunglasses on her head, and gave the three of them a beaming smile. Ginny and Malfoy both breathed sighs of relief and lowered their wands. Calla ran up to her mother and gave her a hug.   
  
“Oh Calla, I was so worried,” Elle said, kneeling down and gripping Calla by the shoulders. She looked up at Ginny and Malfoy. “Thank you for taking care of her.”  
  
“No problem,” Ginny said. “Where’s Harry?”  
  
Elle grinned even wider. “Bringing Bellatrix to the Minister as we speak. She will stand a short trial, and then will be given the Dementor’s Kiss.”

Calla looked up at her mother wide-eyed. “You guys defeated her? But how?”  
  
Elle smoothed down Calla’s hair. “Everything will be explained shortly. Come, we must get you home.” She stood up and grasped Calla tightly by the hand.

Ginny and Malfoy were both giving her funny looks. Elle raised her eyebrows at them.  
  
“What?” she asked. “You doubted Harry would be able to overpower her?”  
  
“No, it’s not that,” Ginny said slowly, tucking her red hair behind her ears. “It’s just…I thought he was planning on killing her, after everything she’s done.”  
  
Elle laughed hollowly. “Potter, kill? He just isn’t the killing type. Besides, the Kiss is worse than death, isn’t it?”  
  
Malfoy and Ginny shared another look. Elle did have a point. But still, something just wasn’t right.  
  
“Although,” Elle continued, “I don’t think he’s alerted the other Aurors yet that the danger has passed. His top priority was to escort Bellatrix from the building. Also, I don’t think the Apparition ban has lifted either. So, if you two would be so kind…”  
  
Ginny nodded. “Of course,” she smiled. “Ron, Hermione, and the others will be thrilled to know that you guys are safe.”  
  
Malfoy sighed. “And your husband will be thrilled to have you home, I’m sure,” he muttered to Ginny.  
  
Calla turned to the two of them. “Thank you,” she whispered, giving Ginny a hug.   
  
Ginny hugged her back tightly. “Just…be careful. Okay Calla?”  
  
Calla nodded. Elle looked down at her and smiled softly.   
  
“Come, dear,” she said, smoothing down her dress. “It’s time to get you home. I’ll tell you everything once we’re gone from this awful place.”  
  
Calla smiled. “Okay, mum,” she said.  
  
Elle and Calla began walking towards the entranceway. Before they left, however, Elle turned and looked Malfoy dead in the eye.   
  
“I want to thank you again, Draco,” she drawled, lowering her eyes. A slight smirk crossed over her lips. “You have been especially helpful to me.”  
  
Malfoy smiled uneasily. “No problem,” he said, shifting his feet uncertainly.  
  
Elle and Calla walked away. Malfoy turned to Ginny.  
  
“That girl has officially lost it,” he told her conspiratorially.   
  
Ginny frowned. “Come with me,” she told Malfoy. “Something’s not right. We’re not telling any of the Aurors anything, or lifting any bans, until I talk to Harry.”  
  
Malfoy sighed. “What’s the problem?” he muttered. “The brat is safe, and Potter saved the day again. Sounds like normal to me.”  
  
Ginny spun around and glared at him. “If what Elle said is true, and Bellatrix is to be locked up in Azkaban, then you’d be dead right now.”  
  
Malfoy stared at her in confusion. Then realization dawned on him.

“You’re right,” he said, surprised at his own daftness. Apparently, he wasn’t as quick on the uptake as he thought. “Our deal was for me to help her. Since she lost, and is still alive, I should be dead. The Unbreakable Vow is broken.”  
  
Ginny nodded. “Unless…unless it isn’t.”  
  
Malfoy sighed. “Alright,” he said finally. “Let’s go be heroes, shall we?”

 

* * *

 

“Do we really have to walk through the Death Chamber?” Elle asked, a little uneasily. She gripped her wand tighter, and shivered from the cool breeze that seemed to waft through the air, though they were indoors.

Harry grimaced. “Looks like it,” he replied, shivering slightly himself. He had never wanted to step foot in this room again, and yet here he was. He tried to tell himself to show more nerve; the way this night was turning out, walking though the chamber was one of those things that may as well happen.

“We should split up, in case there are more traps,” Harry said reasonably. He pointed to one side of the swaying veil situated on the stone dais, where he could still picture Sirius falling to his death. “You go that way, and I’ll go behind the veil. Just don’t get too close, no matter what you hear. Promise me, Elle.”

Elle swallowed. She was nervous about being in a room surrounded by death, but unfortunately, Harry had more experience in this part of the Ministry than she did. She knew what horrors had happened here, and knew that, as hard as it was, he wanted to relive those memories by himself.

“Okay,” she promised, though she was still reluctant. “See you on the other side, Potter.”

They both gazed at each other for a moment, before Elle broke eye contact and moved into the shadows. Harry took a deep breath, and turned his back on her. The only thing he could do was concentrate on Calla, and not on the insistent whisperings he could swear were coming just from the other side of the veil.

As Elle moved away, she could feel the air get colder. Even though she hadn’t taken more than a few steps toward the stone dais, she felt as though the darkness had completely obscured her. She was in the realm of the dead now, and had to remember to keep her head if she ever wanted to find Calla.

She had only taken a few more steps, when a voice spoke suddenly out of the darkness.

_“What kind of woman walks away from the famous Harry Potter?”_

Elle froze. The male voice sounded slightly familiar, though it wasn’t Harry or Malfoy. The tone was slightly sarcastic, but not unkind. In fact, he sounded slightly amused.

Elle slowly turned around, and came face to face with a shadowy figure- a figure with messy black hair, green eyes, and glasses.

She wanted to gasp, or scream, or call out for someone. Thankfully, Elle was able to control her emotions.

“What kind of man walks away from, and lies to, their wife and child?” Elle countered carefully, raising her hands. A green glow emanated from her fingertips, though she didn’t know how much power she had over a ghost. She was pretty sure she knew who this was now, though they had never had a chance to meet.

The figure grinned, and came closer. His outline was shimmering, but the rest of his body appeared solid.

“You have a point there,” he said, giving Elle a smile. His hands were in his jean pockets, and his posture was relaxed. He looked carefree, yet his voice came out in a strange echo.

Elle lowered her glowing hands. “Hello, James,” she said slowly, and she was glad to hear that her voice wasn’t shaking. 

James nodded. “Hello, Elle. It’s nice to finally meet you. I have to say, my son made a good choice. You two make a really good team.”

Elle narrowed her eyes, and James hesitated.

“Well, okay, not lately,” he admitted. “But Lily and I admit, you both have done a wonderful job with our granddaughter. We wish we could be there for you three, very much.” He smiled and ran a hand through his hair, same as Harry always did. “We wish we could have met you properly. We wanted to see our son get married, and we wanted to see him become a father of his own. I’m sorry we’re not there, Elle.” 

Elle looked behind James for a glimpse of Lily, but couldn’t see Harry’s mother. Maybe certain rules existed in the Death Chamber, where only one figure could appear at a time.

“You look just like him,” Elle said, smiling sadly. “Despite everything we went through, you would be so proud of the man he’s become, I know it.” She sighed. “At least you’re not around to see us get divorced.”

James hung his head. His posture stiffened, and his expression grew sorrowful.

“I’m not going to defend what my son did,” he said, his voice echoing off the stone floor. “However, speaking as a former hot-headed idiot and downright prat, I see Harry has inherited some of my less-than admirable traits.” James attempted a grin. “Lily insists that his heart is in the right place though, as does Sirius. We know he cared for you, very much.” 

Elle frowned. “Where are Lily and Sirius? Couldn’t they come too?” she asked, suddenly nervous at the thought of being faced with all of Harry’s dead loved ones.

James shook his head. “Only I was selected to come and speak to you. I don’t make the rules,” he replied, shrugging. “I suppose I was sent to try and convince you, well…not to give up on Harry so quickly.”

Elle sighed. If only it were that easy. 

“You’re his father,” she said ruefully. “You have to say that.”

James laughed. “True,” he said. “But you’re my daughter-in-law, and a smart young lady. You know what’s best for you and that beautiful little girl of yours.” He held up his hands. “I’m only here to give you wise, spiritual guidance.”

Elle took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure she had been all that enlightened by James’ apparition. And technically, she wasn’t even his daughter-in-law anymore.

“Harry would love to see you,” Elle said, nodding over to the other side of the room, which was bathed in darkness. “Can I call him over?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.

“No,” James said, and he looked more sorrowful than ever. “Only _you_ can see me. It was nice to finally speak with you Elle, after all these years. I wish it could have been under different circumstances.” He sighed, and then looked her in the eyes. “Just remember that life is short, and love is hard to find. It’s even harder to hold onto. Think about that before leaving the Ministry tonight, alright?”

He smiled, and for a moment, he could have been Harry’s twin. Elle nodded, and swallowed a lump in her throat.

“Alright,” she agreed.

James turned away, and his outline started to disappear, when Elle was suddenly struck by a thought. 

“Wait!” she cried, and she actually lunged forward to try and grab him by the shoulder. Her blonde and black hair swung forward as her hands swiped through thin air. James, however, stopped and turned around.

“Yes?” he asked, confused. He seemed to be fading.

Elle took a deep breath. “Can you bring my mom and dad here, just for a moment?” she pleaded, and she could feel tears forming in her eyes. “Please?” 

James raised his eyebrows, but before he could answer, his form vanished completely. Elle closed her eyes and sank to the floor, her shoulders shaking in silent sobs.

She stayed kneeling on the floor for a few moments, knowing that she had to move on and get back to Calla with the potion. Harry must be waiting for her. She wasn’t sure yet whether she should tell him about her talk with James. He might think she was crazy, but then again, he knew the power of this room. He knew the dead were here, just lurking out of sight…whispering beyond the veil.

And then, she felt movement. There was another presence before her, but Elle couldn’t open her eyes just yet. It couldn’t be them. They were the faces she had dreamt about almost every night since she was fifteen years old. If she opened her eyes and was wrong, it would be like losing them all over again.

“Sweetheart,” she heard a woman’s voice whisper, in a ghostly echo. 

Elle gasped and sprang up. She put a shaking hand to her mouth.

“Mom?” she whispered, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. “Dad?”

Dylan Levine smiled down at her, and put his arm around his wife’s shoulders.

“It’s us, honey,” he said softly.

Elle couldn’t help it. She collapsed onto the floor again, sobbing as she had never sobbed before. It was too much to bear. The fact that she was seeing her parents again, in front of her, and couldn’t hug them was agonizing.

“I missed you so much,” she choked out, opening her eyes and looking at each of them hungrily. 

Kelly Levine bent down, so that she was eye level with her daughter.

“We only have a moment,” she whispered, gazing into Elle’s eyes. “We wanted to see you. Your father and I are so proud of you, baby. You’ve come so far. You’ve been an amazing fighter, an amazing wife, and an amazing mother. Please, don’t mourn for us. We’ll always be here watching over you.”

Elle looked at her mother and father, sniffing. She didn’t know if she believed in a heaven, or any sort of afterlife, but she believed that somehow, her parents would never truly leave her.

“I wish…I wish I could stay with you,” Elle whispered, looking into her father’s eyes. “I’m sorry if I ever let either of you down. I’ve tried to stay positive and strong, but it’s been so hard."

Dylan smiled at his daughter sadly, his red hair shimmering in the darkness.

“You could never let us down,” he said in his slow, soothing voice. “You need to stay here Dani, and take care of our granddaughter. She’s beautiful. Please never lose that positive, carefree spirit.”

Elle blinked. Her dad had been the only one to ever call her “Dani,” refusing to accept “Elle” as a suitable nickname for “Danielle,” her full name.

Kelly laughed. “Your father’s right,” she said. “And that Harry is as stubborn as you are. I know this divorce has been hard on you honey, but who told you to get married at seventeen?”

Elle managed a laugh through her sobs.

“I knew you would say that,” she said, looking down. “And then Calla was born less than a year later…” 

Dylan frowned. “I wish I could have had a long talk with Harry about that,” he said sternly. “But I think it turned out fine in the end. We really like Calla. We wish we could meet her.”

Elle sighed. “I do too,” she replied, trying not to think how much she had heard the words _“I wish”_ tonight. “She would love her grandparents. All of them.”

Kelly and Dylan stood up, both reluctant to tear their eyes away from their daughter. Elle stood up too, smiling through her tears.

“Are you both really here?” she whispered, as their figures started to fade from view. “Or am I dreaming?”

Her parents both laughed. 

“Does it matter?” Dylan asked, looking at Elle with pride. “We love you very much, honey.”

“Elle!” came a shout from behind her, and Elle jumped. She turned around to see Harry, who was looking at her with a white face. He looked past her, locking eyes with her mother and father, and she knew Harry could see them too.

“I was wondering where you…what…are you…?” Harry asked, gaping at the figures of Elle’s parents.

Kelly smiled at Harry. “We know our daughter doesn’t need looking after,” she said, fixing Harry with an unnaturally stern gaze. “But do it anyway, okay Harry? Watch over her for us.”

“And watch over our granddaughter,” Dylan added, putting another hand on his wife’s shoulder and nodding at Harry. 

Harry shook his head, trying to keep his composure.

“I will,” he promised. “I’m really sorry…”

Kelly shook her head, dismissing his apology. “Work it out amongst yourselves,” she said quickly, as she was really fading now. “We love you both. We’ll see you again, one day.” 

Harry and Elle both watched as the two figures disappeared completely. Elle look a shuddering breath and turned to Harry. He was still white-faced, although he appeared quite calm.

“Your parents appeared,” he said, amazed. He looked at Elle. “Are you okay?”

Elle nodded. “Yes,” she said, gathering her resolve. “I think so. We should get out of here.”

“The exit’s this way,” Harry said, nodding back toward the direction where he had come.

They walked in silence until they reached the door. Harry was burning to ask Elle what exactly had happened, and was a little disappointed that _his_ parents hadn’t appeared for him. Elle seemed to sense his dismay, however, because she stopped and looked Harry directly in his eyes.

“I saw James,” she said slowly, and Harry’s heart lurched. “I saw your dad.”

Harry looked at her, shocked, trying to determine if she was lying. However, he could tell she wasn’t. She looked shaken, as if she still couldn’t quite process what had just happened.

“I’ll tell you about it later,” she promised Harry, and at last, she led the way out of the Death Chamber.

 

* * *

 

Calla walked with her mother in silence out of the Department of Mysteries. It wasn’t like her mum to be this quiet. If Bellatrix was really gone, she would be laughing and cracking jokes. Instead, she continued to walk in determined, stony-faced silence.   
  
“Uh, mum?” Calla ventured softly, stumbling over an uneven cobblestone. “Is everything okay? Are you sure Dad defeated Bellatrix?”  
  
“Of course,” Elle said in a clipped tone. “Why would I lie? It’s your dad that does the lying, not me, remember?”  
  
Calla grimaced. Aside from the insult to her dad, something still wasn’t right. She watched as Elle studied her nails, smoothed down her hair, adjusted her sunglasses…  
  
“Hey, mum?” Calla said again, stopping in her tracks.  
  
Elle closed her eyes in annoyance, and crossed her arms over her chest. “What?” she snapped. Then, after catching the look on Calla’s face, she sighed. “I’m sorry sweetie, but we’re wasting time. Please, no more questions until I get you home.”  
  
Calla frowned.   
  
“It’s just…I don’t remember you getting your sunglasses back.”  
  


* * *

 

Ginny and Malfoy raced through the halls, sealing every door and entranceway behind them. Finally, they came to a door that led towards a stone corridor with fireflies and burning torches. Just before Ginny slammed the door closed, Harry and Elle tumbled into their vision.  
  
“Ginny!” Harry exclaimed. “What are you two doing here? Have you seen Calla?”  
  
“No time to talk!” Ginny commanded pulling them through and then sealing the door behind them. “We have to get to the Atrium quickly!”  
  
“Why?” Elle asked, gripping the potion and running after them through the exit to the Department of Mysteries. “What’s happened?”  
  
“Calla was with us,” Malfoy stammered, already out of breath. “But someone took her, and we had no choice but to let her go. She would have killed us on the spot.”  
  
“What?” Elle screamed, not understanding. She gave Harry a panicked look. “Who took her?”  
  
Ginny threw Elle a sympathetic look over her shoulder. “You did,” she replied, to Harry and Elle’s amazement.  
  


* * *

 

“Calla, I won’t say it again, now let’s GO!” Elle screamed, tugging on Calla’s arm.  
  
“No!” Calla shouted, wrenching her arm out of Elle’s grip. “You are not my mother!”  
  
Elle stopped, sighed, and stood up. She stared down at Calla with a menacing look on her face. Calla shuddered as a dark cloud passed over her mother’s sunny features.   
  
“Clever girl,” Elle hissed. “You’re sharp, I’ll give you that. I’d expect nothing less from the child of Harry Potter.”  
  
Calla couldn’t help herself. Aside from the circumstances, she felt a small glimmer of pride flare up inside her.   
  
“You’re right,” Calla stammered, trying to sound braver than she felt. “Tell me, what did you do with my mother and father?”  
  
Bellatrix smirked, tossing back her long blonde hair. She seemed to admire being youthful and beautiful once more, even if only until the effects of a Polyjuice Potion wore off. The sunglasses tumbled from her head, and on them Calla could spot a few shimmering strands of her mother’s hair.  
  
“If you ever wish to see your mother and father again,” Bellatrix hissed, taking a dagger out from behind her back and sliding it softly across Calla’s cheek, “Then you will come with me.”  
  
 Calla swallowed hard, looking at the dagger out of the corner of her eye. Trying not to think about the years of therapy she would have to endure from being mortally threatened by a woman impersonating her mother, Calla nodded slowly.  
  
“Okay,” she breathed, gathering her wits and looking Bellatrix dead in her false green eyes. “I’ll go with you. Just leave my family alone.”  
  
Bellatrix smirked, and held out her hand. The potion was starting to wear off…Bellatrix’s long, scaly nails pierced Calla’s skin as they made their way to the atrium. The long golden hair that belonged to Elle turned slowly to a curly, rancid brown and the purposeful legs striding the floor grew longer and longer until Bellatrix Lestrange herself stood aglow in the light of the Atrium’s fountain.  
  
Calla shivered, and braced herself for the journey ahead. She had no idea where this witch was taking her. All she knew was that for the first time in her young life, she was doing something truly brave and selfless. She was giving up her freedom to save her parents. Maybe even her life. She guessed her parents were right; she was destined to be a Gryffindor after all.   
  
Bellatrix, squeezing Calla’s hand and spinning on the spot, was displeased to find that the Apparition ban had not been lifted. Bellatrix pushed Calla in front of her to the fireplaces, until Ron, Hermione, and Kingsley suddenly came into view, blocking their way.  
  
“Freeze!” Ron commanded, but Bellatrix was too quick. With a roll of her eyes and a flick of a wand, which she appeared to have stolen, the three Aurors were blasted out of the way. Calla screamed as their bodies hit the opposite wall and fell to the floor.  
  
“No!” Calla cried, clapping her hands to her mouth. “Please, don’t hurt them!”  
  
Bellatrix didn’t seem to hear her. She raised the wand a second time, but then paused as more footsteps could be heard approaching.  
  
“I thought I told those two idiots to send home the Aurors!” Bellatrix yelled in desperation, but as she turned, she came face to face with Harry, Elle, Ginny, and Malfoy.  
  
“CALLA!” Elle shouted. She made to run towards her, but Harry held her back.   
  
“She’s armed,” Harry hissed into Elle’s ear. “She’ll hurt Calla if we get any closer.”  
  
Elle and Calla shared a desperate look. Calla stared quietly at her mother’s tear-streaked face, at her father’s white-faced determination, and at Ginny’s steely resolve. The only face she couldn’t read was Malfoy’s. 

“It’s okay, mom,” Calla said, trying her hardest not to quiver. “I’m going with Bellatrix.”  
  
“Calla, no!” Elle gasped, still trying to fight against Harry’s grip. “You can’t, whatever she said Calla, it’s a trap! She’s trying to get you to kill us! And if that doesn’t work, she’ll kill us all!”  
  
“Elle…” Harry whispered into her ear, as Ginny and Malfoy stood behind them with their wands raised, too fearful to cast any spells for fear of hitting Calla. Ron, Hermione, and Kingsley continued to lay motionless on the ground. Harry hoped desperately they were still alive.  
  
“The potion,” he continued softly, his voice barely above a murmur.  
  
“What about it?” Elle breathed back, not daring to tear her eyes away from Calla’s face.   
  
“Give it to Calla,” Harry muttered. “If we try to capture Bellatrix now, she could hurt our daughter. Malfoy will die for helping us instead of her. We can do this, we can save everyone…just think.”  
  
Elle took a deep breath, and then nodded. “Okay,” she agreed, squeezing Harry’s hand. She walked slowly towards Bellatrix, and Bellatrix grinned.

“So,” Elle said casually, crossing her arms over her chest. “How did it feel to be me for an hour?”  
  
Bellatrix shuddered. “I could almost feel the bad blood coursing through me,” Bellatrix spat. “But as I see it, your old hair was an improvement over your new look.”  
  
Elle glanced down at her charcoal-black tresses and smiled. She kind of liked them.  
  
“At least we know you won’t ever be able to impersonate me again,” Elle replied. “My hair is now cursed with magical fire. It will never work in another Polyjuice Potion.”  
  
Bellatrix tilted her head. “Well, no need for that now,” she smiled. “Any last words you wish to say to your daughter, before I take her away?”  
  
Elle and Calla shared another look. “Just a few,” Elle answered.

She knelt down in front of Calla and embraced her tightly. A tear slid silently down her cheek.  
  
“I’m sorry mum,” Calla moaned. “I’m sorry for this mess we’re in.”  
  
Elle smoothed down Calla’s hair. “You have nothing to be sorry about,” Elle told her comfortingly. “Your dad and I love you very much. But there’s something you need to remember, while you’re away from us.”   
  
Making sure that Bellatrix was still keeping a close watch on Harry and Ginny, Elle took the bottle of potion and slipped it stealthily into Calla’s hand. Calla stiffened for a moment, confused, but then with a slight nudge from Elle, she slipped the potion into her pocket.  
  
“Remember,” Elle whispered. “When you get thirsty, don’t be afraid to take a drink. Just a sip will do.”  
  
Calla nodded, and Elle stood up. Bellatrix grinned at them all, looking happier than she had all evening.

“And now,” Bellatrix announced, gripping Calla’s hand once more and leading her into one of the fireplaces lining the wall. She grabbed a handful of floo powder. “You’ll have to excuse us. We have quite a lot of planning to do.”  
  
And with that, the fireplace turned an emerald green, and Bellatrix and Calla vanished from the Ministry.   
  



	9. The Revenge

Harry, Elle, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Malfoy gathered together in Auror Headquarters, gearing themselves up for the long journey to Bellatrix’s hideout. After reviving Ron and Hermione in the Atrium and making sure they were all right, Harry and Elle filled them in on what had happened and they quickly formed a plan. Harry ordered a group of Aurors to station themselves around the Ministry in case Bellatrix returned, a group of Aurors to guard Harry and Elle’s house, and a small group to accompany them to the island. However, only the six of them would be going inside the ruins of the mansion to try and retrieve Calla, and kill Bellatrix.  
  
Elle gathered up her half blonde, half black hair into a ponytail and wordlessly accepted a cloak from Harry. Usually she opted to go without the usual Auror uniform, but the cloak was equipped with curse protection spells, and she wanted to be as prepared as possible. She sighed as she stuffed as her wand inside the pocket and crossed to the other side of the room, waiting for the others to finish getting ready. She tried not to think about how scared Calla must be, but then remembered what Harry had told her earlier that evening. He was right. She had to give her daughter more credit. It was Elle who needed bravery right now.  
  
“Remember,” Harry said to Malfoy, as the Slytherin looked around Headquarters with mild disdain. “Make it look as though we’ve captured you. If Bellatrix senses that you’re not helping her, you’re a dead man.”  
  
Malfoy rolled his eyes. “Frankly, I can’t understand why I’m not a dead man already.”  
  
Ginny grinned. “Because you haven’t done a damn thing to help either side since you left the courtroom,” she replied.   
  
Malfoy nodded thoughtfully. “If I live through tonight,” he promised, looking around at them all. “I think I know what side I want to be on from now on.”  
  
Ginny looked at him in surprise. “You mean…you’d stay here? You wouldn’t go back to America?”  
  
Malfoy looked at her and his face seemed to soften for the first time that evening.

“I’d stay,” he promised. “No matter how difficult it seemed.”  
  
Ginny looked down, suppressing a smile. Ron seemed ready to jump over the desks and strangle him, but then heard Elle sigh again from the front door. He grabbed his wand and walked over to join her.  
  
“Hey,” Ron told Elle, nudging her shoulder lightly. “Calla’s going to be alright. You’ll see. She’s tough.”  
  
Elle smiled sadly at Ron. “Thanks, Ron.” She looked down at her feet. “You know…the very first time I was separated from Calla, when I was kidnapped by Bellatrix, I vowed never to let her out of my sight again. I felt like I failed her that night, and I feel like I failed her again.”

She took a deep breath, realizing just how close she was to tears. “I feel like I failed everyone,” she whispered.  
  
Ron shook his head. “You’re mental,” he told her bluntly. “Look at how much you went through tonight already, and you’re still fighting! Going through those obstacles, escaping from the Safe Room…signing the divorce papers. I bet Calla is pretty damn proud of you, and though he’ll never admit it, I know Harry is too.”  
  
Elle raised her eyes and looked at him. “Really?” she asked softly.

She chanced a glance at Harry, who was busy going over some last minute plans with Hermione. She realized with a start that Harry still had a picture of her on his desk, in addition to the many pictures of Calla. Elle’s face reddened. How had she missed that before?  
  
She looked back at Ron, and he gave her a knowing glance in return. Elle stiffened.

She and Ron had had a conversation like this before once, when her and Harry were separated during their seventh year of school. But that was different, that was a silly misunderstanding. They were adults now, they had a child, and they had both caused each other much pain. This was something that couldn’t be repaired in one night with a push from Ron, and a kiss in the rain. Elle felt herself shivering as she also remembered that the night her and Harry finally reconciled, was the night he had proposed.   
  
That night, all those years ago, Ron had told Elle that Harry still loved her. Now, Ron hadn’t exactly said those words this time, but still, he seemed to be trying to tell her something. Elle was burning to ask him.  
  
“Ron,” she began, her heart quickening, “Does Harry…”  
  
“We really should be going,” Ron interrupted, raising his eyebrows at her. Elle shut her mouth and swallowed. 

Ron turned around, his hand on the doorknob, but not before looking back at Elle.

“Yes,” he muttered, his voice so low Elle had to lean in to hear him. “He does.”  
  
They shared a smile, but Elle didn’t dare press the matter further as Hermione and Harry joined them.   
  
“Ready?” Harry asked, speaking to Ron, but looking at Elle. Ron didn’t bother answering.  
  
“Ready,” Elle answered for both of them. Her and Hermione squeezed hands.  
  
“Calla’s going to be just fine,” Hermione reassured Elle.  
  
“I know,” Elle grinned. “But, what I don’t know is, how did Bellatrix get a wand? She was unarmed the last time we dealt with her, remember Harry? Well, except for the dagger, but I assume she'd want magic.”  
  
Harry sighed. “She probably stole one from somebody’s desk, people are always leaving their spare wands at work,” he muttered. “I really screwed up not stopping her when I had the chance.”  
  
“Oh, stop feeling sorry for yourselves, the both of you,” Ron said lightly. “We’re going after her now, stolen wand or not.”  
  
“Right,” Hermione confirmed. “Harry and I agree that when we get to the hideout, we stay out of sight until we determine the situation. It’s very possible that Calla was able to slip her the potion, but we don’t know what the exact effects are.”  
  
Harry nodded. “Whatever happens,” he added, “When we face Bellatrix, we go in for the kill. No imprisonment or threat of the Dementor’s Kiss this time. If she stays alive, then Malfoy dies.”  
  
Malfoy had the decency to look abashed. “You don’t have to do that,” he muttered to Harry, joining their group. “I know how you feel about killing, and about using the Unforgivable Curses. It’s my fault; I created this mess for myself, I deserve to die.”  
  
Harry looked him in the eye. “It’s not just about you,” he admitted. “Bellatrix will always be a threat to my family as long as she’s alive. She killed my godfather, she tortured Neville’s parents, she almost killed my wife and now she has my daughter hostage. Killing her won’t be easy, but it’s the only option she’s left me.”  
  
They all nodded. Elle kept repeating Harry’s words in her mind. He had called her his wife. Not ex-wife. She wondered what that meant. She wondered, not for the first time, if she had made a mistake signing those divorce papers.   
  
Then she shook her head, and focused once more on the task at hand.  
  


* * *

 

Calla gripped the potion tightly through the pocket of her nightgown as her and Bellatrix sped through turbulent waters on route to a secluded island in the middle of nowhere. They had first arrived in the fireplace of an abandoned inn, far from England, and then apparated to a small patch of land where Bellatrix had bewitched a boat to sail them to her hideout.  
  
Calla had no idea what the potion was supposed to do, only that she was supposed to find some way to give it to Bellatrix. She was still trying to figure out how she was supposed to accomplish this, but knew it was very important that she did, otherwise her mother never would have given it to her. She wasn’t quite sure what Bellatrix was planning, but knew it involved the murder of parents, so she wanted to act as fast as possible.  
  
However, there wasn’t much she could do in the middle of the ocean. It seemed as though Bellatrix didn’t quite know what to do with Calla either, as she hadn’t spoken to her since she left the Ministry. Calla considered annoying her to death with pointless questions, or singing Disney songs at the top of her lungs like her mom always did when she was cleaning, but then remembered Bellatrix’s dagger and decided just to stay silent.  
  
Soon, they reached the island where the smoldering ruins of a mansion stood, and disembarked. Calla looked at the place in amazement. It was just like the one in her father's stories.   
  
“You live here?” she asked in wonder, forgetting her decision to keep quiet.  
  
Bellatrix sneered. “No,” she replied darkly. “I don’t live anywhere. This is where my Master died. Where your mother and father killed him.”  
  
“Oh,” Calla said. She sat down weakly on the edge of a wall that appeared to have fallen.   
  
“What are you doing?” Bellatrix snapped. “We’re going inside. Your parents will be here shortly, no doubt. They’ll have followed me, and once they’re here, you’re going to help me destroy them.”  
  
Calla sighed. She had thought she was being brave by going with Bellatrix, but it was no use. She hadn’t saved anyone; she had only prolonged the inevitable. She had allowed Bellatrix to bring the battle to her turf, where she would surely win. Calla hung her head between her legs.  
  
“I think I’m going to be sick,” she told Bellatrix. She wasn’t lying- she did feel queasy. She just wasn’t sure if it was due to the rocky sea, what she was expected to do, or Bellatrix’s rotten breath that was making her stomach turn. Probably a combination of all three.  
  
Bellatrix pursed her lips impatiently. “Come on, girl,” she hissed. “Come inside.”  
  
“I can’t move,” Calla insisted. “Can I have some water?”  
  
“What?” Bellatrix asked, aghast. Now the brat was asking her for favors?   
  
“Please,” Calla pleaded. “I don’t feel well. If I’m going to help you, the least you could do is get me some water.”  
  
Bellatrix closed her eyes, then conjured a glass out of thin air. Raising her wand, she muttered a spell and water poured from the tip of the wand into the glass. Wordlessly, she handed the glass to Calla.  
  
“Thanks,” Calla said gratefully. She pulled the potion from her pocked and poured the entire contents of it into the water, not even bothering to hide what she was doing from Bellatrix. She had inherited her mom’s lack of subtlety- it was better that she didn’t even try.  
  
“What’s that?” Bellatrix asked, sharply, as Calla raised the glass to her lips. “What did you just pour in there?”  
  
Calla winced. “Fine,” she said blandly. “You caught me. It’s a potion my mum gave me. She said it would protect me.”  
  
Bellatrix snatched the glass away from Calla. “You filthy liar,” she sneered. “I don’t know what’s worse, your hideous performance, or your cowardice. Nothing can protect you now.”  
  
Calla bit her lip. _Please, please let this work_ , she prayed. Tears slid from her eyes as Calla stood, and looked out over the sea.

“Great,” Calla said. “I knew I would screw up. My mum not only told me to drink it, she told me not to let you steal it from me.”  
  
Bellatrix raised her eyebrows. “Is that so?” she murmured. “Well, I suppose a little protection spell can’t hurt.” And with that, she poured the glass of water down her throat and threw the glass into the ocean. Calla winced as it hit the waves and disappeared.  
  
She chanced a glance at Bellatrix, but the witch was now hiking up her black robes and moving further into the ruins. Calla rolled her eyes, and buried her face in her hands. It hadn’t worked. Bellatrix seemed absolutely fine. Whatever her parents had gone through to get that potion, it had been for nothing.  
  
“Coming?” Bellatrix called, in a falsely sweet voice.   
  
Calla gritted her teeth. She had no choice but to follow her captor.  
  


* * *

The six of them flew over the ocean on broomsticks, dark blue robes swirling around them. They rotated around one another, just as Moody had done with Harry’s guard during the summer before his fifth year, and occasionally changed direction in case they were being followed. Harry knew this might be overkill, but he didn’t want to take any chances. He had fully expected a snide remark from Elle or Malfoy by now, but most of them had been strangely quiet throughout the journey.  
  
“Well,” Elle said after a while, with forced brightness, “at least we’re finally out of the Ministry.”  
  
Harry laughed. “I know,” he said. “I feel like it’s been years since we've been in there.” He jerked his head toward Elle and directed his broom so that they were flying side by side. “How does it feel to be back in Auror’s robes?”  
  
Elle let out a deep breath. “It feels great,” she said truthfully, and they both shared a grin. “If it weren’t for our daughter being in the hands of a lunatic, I’d almost say this was fun.”  
  
Harry cleared his throat.

“Elle, come back to work,” he suggested once more, before he lost his nerve. “When Calla goes to Hogwarts, I really don’t want you to be on your own.” When Elle didn’t answer, he pressed on. “Honestly, it’s not that I need to find someone else, or that I feel sorry for you, because I know that’s what you think. It’s because you’re the best one for the job.” He gave her a prideful glance. “One of the funniest, and greatest Aurors I’ve ever known.”  
  
Elle seemed taken aback. “I have been considering going back to work,” she admitted, and Harry’s heart soared. “But…not as an Auror.”  
  
Harry looked confused. “Doing what, then?”  
  
Elle seemed embarrassed for a moment, but then threw him a grin.

“I was thinking bigger,” she said seriously. “You said the Minister was retiring, right?” Harry nodded. “Well…what if I ran for Minister?”  
  
Harry almost fell off his broom. “You? Minister of Magic?” he asked, dismayed at the fact that Elle had managed to shock him once again. That was one thing about her; she was always full of surprises.   
  
Elle nodded. “Mistress of Magic, actually,” she confirmed. “What, like it’s hard?”  
  
Harry studied her face as they flew, trying to determine if she was really serious. When she didn’t laugh or flinch, Harry found himself chuckling.  
  
“You’re making fun of me,” Elle said ruefully, giving him a wry smile.   
  
“No,” Harry replied honestly. “If there’s anyone in the world who could pull that off, it would be you, Danielle Levine.”  
  
“And I would be your boss!” Elle mentioned cheerfully. They both laughed.  
  
Behind them, Ron and Hermione shared a look. Hearing the two of them laugh together was definitely a good sign.  
  
The air got colder as they neared the ruins of the manor, and they all shivered in spite of themselves. Elle and Malfoy shared a dark look.  
  
“This is where we were imprisoned,” Malfoy murmured, leaning closer on his broom. “Feels so good to be back.” He groaned. "I'm trying not to picture you, Potter, and your daughter in a watery grave right now." He caught the look on Elle's face. "Sorry."  
  
She flew closer, as if to knock him off his broom, almost like it was a game of Quidditch.

"Imagine this instead," she said seriously. "Harry, Calla and I dancing on YOUR grave...when you're an old man, a long, long time from now."   
  
They both shared another look, and this time, both smiled.   
  
They circled the area, looking closely for signs of life. Harry saw movement out of the corner of his eye and gestured with his hand. The six of them landed lightly on the partly caved-in roof.  
  
“Any minute now,” they could hear Bellatrix drawl. She seemed impatient.  
  
“What are you going to do to them once they get here?” Calla asked defiantly.   
  
Elle jerked at the sound of her daughter’s voice and looked frantically in the direction it came from. When they peered down and saw Calla bound up in chains, Harry had to clamp a hand over Elle’s mouth to stop her from screaming.  
  
Bellatrix flicked her wand, and not one, but a dozen daggers floated slowly towards her, hovering right over Calla’s head. Calla ducked as best as she could.  
  
“Only what they did to my Master,” Bellatrix replied, looking over her shoulder.  
  
“And how am I expected to help you?” Calla shouted hysterically.  
  
Bellatrix glared at her, but didn’t answer. At the mention of her master, something seemed to happen to her. She doubled over, clutching her chest, as if in sudden pain. After a few moments, she stood upright again, breathing heavily. Calla was momentarily stunned.  
  
“It doesn’t matter,” Calla said bitterly, taking advantage of Bellatrix’s temporary distraction. “My dad defeated Lord Voldemort, he can defeat you too.”  
  
Bellatrix threw back her head as if to laugh, but once Calla had said Voldemort’s name, Bellatrix stumbled and shrieked. She clawed at her chest, as if invisible knives were tearing her apart. After it passed, she threw Calla a suspicious look.  
  
“What are you doing?” she screamed. “How is this happening?”  
  
“What?” Calla asked, confused. “I’m not doing anything, you ugly hag, I’m tied up!”  
  
Bellatrix ran over to the girl and grabbed one of the daggers above her head. She pressed it against Calla’s neck, and drops of blood could be seen forming where the blade touched her skin.   
  
This time, Harry didn’t bother to keep Elle quiet. Both of them flew down at once and landed on either side of Calla, pointing their wands at Bellatrix. Bellatrix dropped the blade.  
  
“Mum!” Calla shrieked. “Dad!”  
  
Bellatrix smiled. “I told you they’d come, my dear,” she said softly, eyeing Harry and Elle, who both looked shakily back at her. “And to answer your question…this is how you help me, little Calla. By being my leverage.”  
  
Elle raised her wand. She didn’t really know what that word meant.   
  
“Stay away from my daughter,” she whispered, more serious than she had ever been in her life.  
  
Bellatrix tilted her head and snapped her fingers. The daggers floated away from Calla, and pointed themselves at Harry and Elle instead.  
  
“Surrender yourselves,” Bellatrix commanded softly. “Or I’ll snap your daughter’s pretty little neck.”  
  
Harry groaned inwardly. So this was how Bellatrix planned to use Calla. She must have known that Harry and Elle would do anything to protect her, including sacrificing their own lives. But she couldn’t do that until she had brought them here, on her own terms, where every nook and cranny of the mansion was probably rigged with some sort of curse or weapon to kill them. And after they were dead, after she had avenged her master, she would have no need for Calla anymore.   
  
Harry looked at Elle, and saw that she must have realized this too. Together, both of them slowly lowered their wands. Calla was looking at her parents, her face white.  
  
“No!” she shrieked. “You guys can’t!” When neither of them moved, Calla cried real, genuine tears this time. “No!” she shouted. “This is a mistake, you guys have to fight, you can’t let her win! Dad, come on, after everything you’ve done, after Voldemort…”  
  
It happened again. Bellatrix staggered back and collapsed against the wall, breathing heavily. Harry gave Calla a look, and Calla grinned sheepishly.  
  
“I gave her the potion,” she whispered.   
  
At this, Harry raised his wand and sent red sparks in the air. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione flew down to join them, the three of them pointing their wands at Bellatrix.

Hermione performed an intricate little wave, and the daggers flew towards Bellatrix, pinning her dress to the wall. Bellatrix made to struggle against them, when Hermione said, softly, “Voldemort.”  
  
Bellatrix screamed, and her voice pierced the night air. It seemed as though she could not hear the sound of her Master’s name without experiencing extreme pain. And as much as Harry hated her, this woman who had almost destroyed his family, he understood. Love was wonderful, but it was also dangerous. If used in the wrong way, love could be lethal. Great love meant great loss, and it could hurt so much that a person would rather die than experience the pain of losing a loved one. He had almost experienced it himself.   
  
As Elle worked to free Calla from her bonds, Harry pointed his wand straight at Bellatrix’s chest. Bellatrix looked at him, and her eyes gleamed red.   
  
“Calla, don’t look,” Elle whispered, knowing how much this would haunt Harry for the rest of his life. For all his talk of protecting his family, Elle knew that he hated using death as a means of revenge. He hadn’t used the killing curse since Voldemort.

Calla sniffed, and buried her head in her mother’s robes.   
  
Harry opened his mouth, but at that moment, Malfoy flew down and landed in front of him. He stared at Bellatrix, and Bellatrix broke into a smile.   
  
“Nephew,” she purred, but her relief was momentary. She saw the coldness in his eyes, and her lips became grim once more.  
  
“You’re dead,” she whispered. “You broke our vow. You promised to help me.”  
  
Malfoy swallowed and gripped his wand. “I am helping you,” he said. “I’m freeing you from the pain. I’m freeing you from your revenge. And it’s what I should have done a long time ago. Goodbye, Aunt Bellatrix.”  
  
And with that, Malfoy swung his wand through the air, and shouted, “Avada Kedavra!”   
  
There was a flash of green light, and Bellatrix’s body crumpled against the wall. The daggers fell to the floor. For a moment, all was still.   
  
Harry couldn’t believe what had happened. Malfoy had done it, he had killed her. Malfoy must have known Harry would have a hard time dealing with the guilt, and must have known it was the only way to redeem himself in Ginny’s eyes.  
  
For a second, Harry thought it had worked. They all seemed fine, and thankfully, Calla hadn’t looked. He turned to glance at Elle, and both of them broke out into grins. Ron pulled Hermione into a tight squeeze.  
  
Then, Ginny screamed.  
  
Malfoy fell to the floor, as still as Bellatrix.  
  



	10. The Divorce- Part II

Calla stirred in her hospital bed at St. Mungo’s. Everything about the previous night seemed hazy- her parents getting a divorce, her being sent to Ron and Hermione’s house, her escaping to the Ministry in the middle of the night, her being captured by Bellatrix…Bellatrix being killed by Draco Malfoy…  
  
Calla sat up abruptly in bed and opened her eyes. She had almost forgotten about Malfoy. Everything seemed like such a blur since they had left Bellatrix’s hideout. Ginny had immediately levitated Malfoy’s body onto her broom and flew off, without a word to anyone. Elle had helped Calla onto the back of Harry’s broom, and her Dad had told her to hold on tight while they flew to safety.   
  
However, just before they left, Hermione had circled the skies around the ruined mansion for a bit, performing intricate wand movements. Suddenly, a tornado appeared a few feet away from them and touched down right at the spot where Bellatrix’s body lay. As the ruins were blown away in a rush of wind and smoke, the five of them sped away from the mansion without a backwards glance.

When they all threw Hermione a questioning glance, she looked at them calmly and replied, “just in case.”  
  
At Elle’s insistence, and despite Calla’s protests, they had flown straight to St. Mungo’s. Elle didn’t like the cuts on Calla’s neck where Bellatrix had pressed the dagger into her skin, and wanted to get them checked out. Harry agreed, and even though Calla pouted about being fussed over, she still relished the fact that her parents were getting along and agreeing.

Ron and Hermione stayed while the Healers dabbed creams on Calla’s neck and then gave her a sleeping potion to soothe her nerves. Calla had been admitted overnight, but the Healers had assured her parents that she’d be good as new by the next morning. Calla was burning with questions, but the sleeping potion took effect, and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.  
  
However, now she was awake, and she wanted some answers. As she blinked in the morning sunlight and gazed around the room, she spotted her mother conversing with a Healer over in the corner. As soon as Elle saw that Calla was awake, she and the Healer both rushed over to her bedside.  
  
“You’re awake! How do you feel?” Elle asked anxiously, putting a hand to Calla’s forehead. Calla noticed her mother’s weary face and her same rumpled blue sundress, and realized that her mother had probably stayed awake the whole night.  
  
“I’m fine,” Calla smiled, gently pushing her mother’s hand away. “Honestly.”  
  
Elle breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her daughter tightly. Then she turned to the Healer next to her. Calla saw that her nametag read, “Healer Donovan.”  
  
“What about the scars on her neck?” Elle was asking the Healer. “Will they fade?”  
  
Healer Donovan patted Elle’s hand reassuringly. “Perhaps, over time. But I wouldn’t worry too much about it, dear. Dumbledore always said that scars can come in handy.”  
  
“Besides,” a voice rang out, coming from the door. “You need a scar or two in order to fit in with this family.”  
  
“Dad!” Calla exclaimed, as her father made his way over to her, beaming. He handed Calla a mug of hot chocolate, which she accepted gratefully.   
  
“How are you feeling?” Harry asked her, looking just as concerned as Elle.   
  
“Great!” Calla beamed back. “But I have a lot of questions.”  
  
Harry and Elle laughed. “We assumed as much,” Elle replied.

She turned her attention momentarily back to the Healer. “Thank you, once again, Healer Donovan. You’re always looking out for our family.”  
  
Healer Donovan gave Elle a smile. “Of course, you know I’m always here for the Potters whenever you all need me. I’ll give you three time alone now.”  
  
As she walked out, Harry summoned two armchairs with his wand for him and Elle, and the two of them sat down next to Calla’s bed. Calla sipped her hot chocolate and looked at her dad warily.  
  
“I thought you’d have to be at work,” she stated slowly.  
  
Harry had the gall to look slightly ashamed.

“I do have to go in later,” he told Calla honestly. “But just to give a statement, and then I’m taking some vacation time.” He looked Calla in the eyes. “The whole summer off. Just like I promised.”  
  
Calla felt elated, and she almost spilled her drink. “Really?” she asked, looking to her mother for validation. Elle nodded, with a grin.  
  
“He’s telling the truth, sweetheart,” she said, pushing back Calla’s hair. “He spent the whole night by your side, even.” Harry and Elle shared a look, before Elle continued. 

“In fact, we spent some time talking while you slept, and I decided that you should live with your dad this summer. It’s about time you two were together, and then I’ll have you during your Christmas break from school.”  
  
Calla nodded hesitantly. In the past, this news would have made her deliriously happy, but now it only made her upset. She had hoped last night would have brought her parents together; after all, they had been getting along so well towards the end. But maybe that had been just wishful thinking.  
  
“So…” Calla said quietly. “This divorce is really happening, huh?”  
  
Harry and Elle gave each other a long, steady look. Carefully, they both nodded. Calla felt crushed, but she understood. Perhaps this was the better path for both of them. And even if they were getting divorced, at least they weren’t fighting anymore.  
  
“I know it’s hard,” Harry said, looking seriously into his daughter’s huge, green eyes. “It’s hard for us too. But we really think it’s for the best. And we both love you very much Calla. That will never change.”  
  
Elle nodded earnestly.  Calla sighed.  
  
“Well,” she said, attempting brightness. “At least you guys aren’t arguing. That’s something at least.”  
  
They all laughed. Calla drained her hot chocolate and put the mug aside. She tucked her hair behind her ears.  
  
“So, that Bellatrix lady is really gone?”  
  
Harry grinned. “Yes,” he promised Calla. “Draco Malfoy killed her. And Hermione’s spell assured that she would never be able to return. You aren’t in danger any longer, Calla.”  
  
Calla frowned. “But what happened to Malfoy? Last thing I remember, he collapsed.”  
  
Elle hesitated. “It was touch and go there for a moment,” she admitted truthfully. “Neither of us thought he would survive. But Ginny flew him here, and even though it was faint, his heart was still beating.”  
  
Calla took a deep breath. “But he broke the Unbreakable Vow. He told me about it himself, while we were hiding in the Department of Mysteries.”  
  
Harry nodded. “You’re right,” he said. “But by killing the person he made the vow with, he freed himself from the spell. And if you think about it, he actually didn’t break the vow at all. He did everything Bellatrix asked him to do. He killed a muggle, he helped her to kidnap you, and in the end, he helped her free herself from her never-ending quest for revenge- even though it wasn’t in quite the way Bellatrix was expecting.”  
  
Calla bit her lip. Her mom looked at her fondly, stroking her daughter’s hair.   
  
“He’s in the room down the hall,” she told her. “Ginny hasn’t left his side. We can visit him later if you’d like. He did help us save you.”  
  
Calla cocked her head to one side and grinned slyly. “Ginny is in love with him, isn’t she? And he’s in love with her?”  
  
Harry grimaced. “As much as Ron and I hate to admit it,” Harry grumbled, “We think they are in love.”  
  
Calla was confused again. She had a lot to learn about the complexities of love. “But, isn’t Ginny married?”  
  
Elle laughed. “That’s the ironic news of the day,” she replied. “You should have seen Parvati’s face when she heard this, but Ginny announced it as soon as she found out Malfoy was alive- she’s getting a divorce from her husband.”  
  
“Wow,” Calla breathed, whistling softly. They all sat in silence for a moment. Calla was afraid to break the silence, for fear that this would be the last time they would all be together as a family. All three of them in one room, with nobody fighting. However, it couldn’t last forever.  
  
“Mum,” she said tiredly, leaning onto her mother’s shoulder. “I want to go home.”  
  
Elle kissed Calla’s forehead, and her and Harry stood up.   
  
“Okay,” she said, giving Harry one last look. “Let’s go home.”

 

* * *

 

Malfoy feigned sleep as he sensed a sweep of vibrant red hair fall over his face. Actually, he had been feigning sleep for hours. Sleep was easy compared to what he would have to face when he woke up. Although, he was very grateful for the fact that he wasn’t dead. Even though, by every magical law, he should be.  
  
Finally, when he could stand it no more, he opened his eyes. What he found was Ginny smiling down at him.  
  
“Told you it wouldn’t be that easy to get rid of you,” she murmured.  
  
Malfoy sat up and brushed his hair out of his eyes. “Where am I?” he muttered. He looked around, spotted the bland curtains and the thin bed hangings, and groaned. “Don’t tell me. A Slytherin in St. Mungo’s? My family would be disgraced.”  
  
Ginny laughed. “Your family, or, what’s left of it at least, is already disgraced,” she replied, sitting on the edge of his bed. “And you should be thankful to be alive.”  
  
Malfoy gave her what he hoped was a dashing grin. “Of course I am,” he told her, brushing her hair gently behind her ear. “I was only joking. There’s only one person whose opinion I care about.”  
  
Ginny sighed, and closed her eyes.

“That was a very brave thing you did back there with Bellatrix,” she chastised. “Stupid, but brave. One would say…Gryffindor-like.”  
  
Malfoy shuddered. “It wasn’t easy,” he admitted. “And it wasn’t like I was planning on killing her. Of course, I wanted to save my own skin, but I also wanted to…to prove something to you, I guess.”  
  
Ginny frowned. “Prove what?”  
  
Malfoy shrugged. “I don’t know, prove that I’m not a total douchebag, I guess.”  
  
Ginny giggled. “Douchebag? Is that some filthy American term you picked up?”  
  
“Worse,” Malfoy grinned. “A muggle term. And it describes me perfectly, I’m afraid. Ask Elle, when she’s done weeping over that precocious child of hers.”  
  
Ginny smiled gently. “A child that you saved, I might add.” Ginny sighed and bit her lip. “Draco, I need to tell you something.”  
  
Malfoy winced. “I know, I know,” he said bitterly, sinking back onto his pillows and wondering if the Healers would bring him a shot of whiskey. “You have to go back to your husband.”  
  
Ginny shook her head. “About him,” she said quietly. “I only married Rolf because…well…I wanted to forget about you. We aren’t right for each other, never were. And I’ve already told him I want a divorce.”  
  
Malfoy shot back up in bed, his eyes wide. “Well, that’s…that’s great news,” he murmured, feeling slightly dazed.  
  
Ginny laughed again, her brown eyes sparkling.

“I love you, Draco,” she said bluntly. “I don’t know why I tried to deny it all these years. You’re arrogant, and bitter, and downright hostile, but…you have a good heart.”  
  
Malfoy smiled- his first, real, genuine smile in what felt like years. 

“I have a confession to make too,” he said. “I only went to America because I felt like I’d be ruining your life if I stayed here. Your brothers already hate me, and I wouldn’t be doing you any favors by sticking around. You deserve someone better.”  
  
Ginny grinned. “I do,” she admitted. “But I want you.”  
  
Malfoy grabbed her face with both of his hands and pulled her close. “Who would have thought,” he said, before enveloping her in a kiss. “A Gryffindor and a Slytherin, together.”  
  
Ginny grinned mischievously. “Say it,” she commanded Draco, before leaning in for another kiss.  
  
Malfoy knew exactly what she wanted to hear.

“Fine, fine,” he said, and then spoke the words he had never said to anyone before, not even to his own parents. “I love you, too.”

 

* * *

 

A few hours later, as Malfoy was gathering up his things with a promise to meet Ginny for dinner in Hogsmeade, he heard a slight knock at the door of his St. Mungo’s room. Pulling on his jacket and frowning, he stepped forward to open it and Harry Potter walked in.  
  
“So,” Harry said, glancing at Malfoy. “You’re alive.”  
  
Malfoy smirked. “True, and yet you don’t seem as disappointed as I would have thought.”  
  
Harry sighed. “Well, the truth is, you did save my daughter’s life last night. True, you also almost got us killed, but you more than made up for that.” He shifted uncomfortably, and then held out his hand. “I just wanted to say thank you.”  
  
Malfoy shook his hand. “You’re welcome,” he said. “But you don’t have to thank me. I made a mess of things, and that was the only way I knew how to fix them.”  
  
Harry looked down. “You don’t have to tell me about making a mess of things,” he muttered quietly.  
  
Malfoy raised his eyebrows. “I suppose you’re referring to your dear ex-wife?” When Harry gave him a look, Malfoy shrugged. “She did tell me a bit about your troubles while we were hiding the body of that muggle.”  
  
Harry took a deep breath. “I expected that,” he admitted. “You two have always had a strange connection, as much as I hate to admit it.”  
  
Malfoy looked Harry in the eye, a gesture he loathed, but felt was necessary in the moment. “Friendship. That’s all it is, and all it ever was, Potter. I promise you.”  
  
Harry attempted a laugh. “I know that now. Ginny told us about her divorce, but she didn’t seem very upset about it, and truthfully everyone knows the reason why.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Ron still has a mind to kill you, you know.”  
  
Malfoy laughed too. “I would be gravely unhappy if Weasley didn’t at least  _try_ to avenge his sister’s honor, but from what Ginny tells me, he wasn’t too fond of her husband either.”  
  
Harry frowned. "Who  _was_  that muggle you killed anyway?"  
  
Malfoy sighed. "He was a criminal," he said, facing Harry with a stoic look on his face. "A thief, a rapist...somebody this world is much better without, trust me." He looked up, a slightly troubled look painting his features. "If I was forced to kill a muggle, then I wanted to make damn sure he wasn't innocent. I don't think Elle would have helped me if he was." He sighed. "I know what you must think of me, Potter."  
  
Harry shook his head. "It doesn't matter now. You've more than redeemed yourself, I'd say."  
  
Malfoy made for the door. “Well, seeing as how I’ve got a clean bill of health, I’d best be going.”  
  
Harry nodded. “Fair enough,” he admitted. “I suppose I’ll be seeing you around. I’ve got to go as well. Now that Elle and I are officially divorced, I’ve got to find a place to live.”  
  
Malfoy gave a grudging sigh and turned around. “Yes, about that divorce. You do know you’re being a bloody idiot, right?”  
  
Harry frowned again. “Excuse me?”  
  
“No offense,” Malfoy drawled, one hand still on the doorknob. “But that girl is madly in love with you, and though I have no idea why, you’re daft if you think divorcing her is the right answer. Fix your mistakes, and repair your marriage.” Malfoy sighed. “Trust me, as someone who has lived apart from the girl he loved for eleven years, it’s just not worth it. Life is too short.”  
  
Harry cleared his throat, apparently deep in thought. “Thanks…I guess.”  
  
Malfoy grinned and strode out of the room. “See you around, Potter.”  
  


* * *

Elle stepped into the Ministry of Magic courtroom a few days later, nervously stroking her brand-new shoulder-length blonde hair. She had no idea why Harry had asked her to meet him here, of all places. Hadn’t they seen enough of this place? Ever since she and Harry had agreed not to have a custody battle, she decided she never wanted to step foot into the courtrooms ever again. And yet, here she was, pulled against her will by curiosity.  
  
Smoothing down her jeans and her white jumper, she cautiously opened up the door to Courtroom 9, and found Harry already there waiting for her. He had promised to take Calla as soon as he found an apartment, so Elle hadn’t seen him since the morning her and Calla had returned home from St. Mungo’s. Elle supposed he had called her here to tell her that he had finally found a place. His stuff had been sitting in boxes for days.  
  
“Hi,” Harry said, smiling at the sight of her. Like her, he was dressed in jeans and a simple t-shirt. He seemed more carefree now that he was off-duty for a whole summer.  
  
“Hi,” Elle replied, smiling back. “It’s good to see you.”  
  
“And you,” Harry said sincerely. He gazed at her with a look that Elle hadn’t seen in a long time. “I like your new hair.”  
  
Elle laughed, fingering the edges. “Thanks,” she said. “Calla says I should have kept the black, but I didn’t want to look like a mom who was trying too hard to be cool.”  
  
“Well, we both know you’re not cool,” Harry joked.   
    
Elle bit her lip and glanced awkwardly around the room. “So…what’s the big surprise? And why are we meeting here?”  
  
Harry raised his wand, and a bunch of documents came flying into the room, settling themselves neatly on a table near the center. At Elle’s questioning glance, he explained, “Because, coming here was the only way I could convince Parvati to give up these documents. I told her I needed to go over them one last time.”  
  
Elle sucked in a gasp. “Those are our divorce papers,” she said in amazement. She looked up at Harry. “I don’t understand, did we forget to sign something?”  
  
“No,” Harry said steadily, giving her a serious look. “I want to burn them.”  
  
Elle was speechless. She and Harry gazed at each other in silence for a long time, before Elle finally broke it.  
  
“What…what about all that talk of ‘we really think it’s for the best’?”  
  
“Look, Elle,” Harry said, walking closer to her and taking her by the hand. “I’ve been a prick. I thought lying to you about Bellatrix and distancing myself would help protect you and Calla. But all it did was destroy our marriage. And it’s all my fault.”  
  
Elle shook her head. “I’m to blame too, Harry,” she said softly. “I should have trusted you. It’s just, I missed you. I hated feeling like a single mother, and I hated being out of the loop. I shouldn’t have quit my job like that, I know.”  
  
Harry laughed. “It doesn’t help that we’re both stubborn as hell,” he said. “And we might have both made mistakes, but as someone recently told me, life is too short. And I want to give us another shot.” He swallowed, suddenly nervous. “Now, I just have to know if you want to do the same.”  
  
Elle took a deep breath, her eyes watery. Someone had recently told her the same thing.

“I do,” she replied honestly. “Despite almost getting killed last night, it made me realize that I miss our adventures.” She looked down at her feet. “We’re always going to fight, Harry, we might as well accept that. But, I want to fight. I don’t want to lose what we had.”  
  
Harry was very close to her now.

“I want to fight too,” he whispered. “I never want to stop.”  
  
Elle closed her eyes, and Harry kissed her, gripping her face tightly with his hands. Elle kissed him back, and soon their hands were gripping the back of each other’s heads with such fierce intensity that it almost felt like the room was ablaze. This time, Harry didn’t worry about kissing her for too long.  
  
After they broke apart, Elle’s eyes swept to the pile of papers on the table. With a point of her finger, the papers caught on fire, and soon they were nothing but ashes.   
  
“Parvati is going to kill us for this,” Elle murmured, and they both giggled.   
  
“I don’t care,” Harry said truthfully. “Do you think Calla will be mad?”  
  
Elle shook her head. “I think she knew it all along,” she told Harry. “You know our daughter. She can sense things others can’t.”  
  
Harry grinned. “She really is special,” he said. “And she’s going to do great at Hogwarts.”  
  
Elle smiled. “So…does this mean you’re moving back in?”  
  
Harry laughed. “If you’ll let me,” he said. “But, first things first.” He rummaged around in his pocket, and pulled out a ring. Elle’s ring. Her eyes lit up as she gazed at it.  
  
“I believe this belongs to you, Mrs. Potter,” Harry said quietly, raising his wand with his other hand and levitating the ring over to Elle. She stretched out her hand, and the ring placed itself perfectly onto her finger.  
  
“Mrs. Potter,” Elle said, tilting her head. “I could get used to that.”  
  
They both laughed, and this time Elle giddily jumped on top of Harry. They twirled around, giggling and kissing. Elle wrapped her hands around Harry’s neck, pulling him close.   
  
“When should we start making up for lost time?” Elle asked, tucking a strand of hair being her ear and gazing at Harry with her intense green eyes.  
  
Harry grinned rakishly. “Right now,” he said, as Elle jumped down from his arms. “But, can you do me a favor first?”  
  
Elle shrugged. “Sure.”  
  
Harry’s eyes glinted mischievously. “Lock the door.”  
  
Elle laughed. “Now  _that_  I can definitely do,” she joked, pushing the door back forcefully with her foot.   
  
This time, the sound of locks clicking into place was entirely welcome.  
 

* * *

 

Harry remembered that summer as one of the best summers he had ever had. Him and Elle had come home from the Ministry to find Calla standing in front of the house, her arms crossed over chest and a knowing smirk on her lips. She looked at the two of them, holding hands, and broke out in a huge grin.  
  
“I knew it,” she smiled, running over to her parents. “I knew you guys would get back together!”  
  
Elle and Harry laughed, and the three of them hugged for a long time out there on the front porch. That same day, the two girls helped Harry move his stuff back into the house.   
  
The days passed by much too quickly, but each one was filled with fun and happiness. The three spent some much needed time as a family, visiting the London countryside, playing fierce Quidditch games, and buying Calla her first wand. All too soon, August came to a close, and Calla began packing her things for Hogwarts. Elle and Harry made sure she was equipped with robes, trunks, a cauldron, books, and a brand new cage for Hedwig, with whom she would be taking with her. Elle made Calla promise that she would write to them once a week.  
  
On September the first, Harry and Elle departed for Kings Cross Station along with Ron, Hermione, their children, Ginny, and Draco. Calla at first was a bit embarrassed about having so many people with her, but everyone was quite excited to see her off, and Harry figured that a few extra people couldn’t hurt. After all, Calla would always be the daughter of Harry Potter, and therefore would always be in some sort of spotlight.  
  
Elle was quiet throughout the car ride to the station, and Harry knew that she was having a hard time with letting Calla go. Of course, she was proud and happy for her daughter, but Harry knew that she would miss her terribly. Harry reached over from the driver’s seat of the Ministry’s rental car and squeezed her hand.   
  
“It’s going to be okay,” he reassured his wife.  
  
Elle smiled, happy to know that she at least wouldn’t be left alone once Calla left.

“I know,” she replied. “Just keep your eyes on the road.”

Harry raised his eyebrows. “I forgot I was riding with an expert driver,” he joked.   
  
They entered the station, and Elle and Calla both squealed with delight as they sped through the barrier at nine and three quarters for Calla’s first time. The rest soon followed, joining the heavy throng that surrounded the gleaming engine of the Hogwarts Express. Calla, Kevin, and Michael’s jaws all dropped once they saw it.  
  
“I can’t believe I have to wait until I go to Hogwarts,” Kevin whined, looking at Calla enviously. Then, he turned to her. “You will write to me, won’t you?”  
  
Calla laughed and hugged him. Though she was older, Kevin took after Ron and was already taller than she was.   
  
“Of course I will,” she promised the two boys. “I’ll even send you pictures of what the boy’s dormitories look like when I turn them pink.” She caught her father’s narrowed eyes and grinned. “Just kidding, dad.”  
  
Hermione smiled and hugged Calla too. “You’re going to do great!” she exclaimed, squeezing the young girl tightly. “Make sure you listen to your professors, and do all your work on time, and don’t go into the Forbidden Forest…”  
  
“Give it a rest Hermione, she knows,” Ron said lightly, slapping Calla on the back. “Just make sure you’re sorted into Gryffindor, alright?”  
  
Malfoy scowled. “Slytherin isn’t so bad!”  
  
Ginny glared at him and stepped on his foot. “Whatever House she gets will be wonderful,” Ginny said wisely.

She hugged Calla too, and then Calla turned and faced Malfoy. Malfoy held out his hand.  
  
“Well, it’s been real, Calla,” he said, as Calla shook his hand firmly. “Try not to get into any more trouble.”  
  
Calla raised her eyebrows. “Likewise,” she said, grinning at Malfoy. “Though with you, Uncle Ron, and my dad keeping an eye out for me, trouble is the last thing I’ll have to worry about. Now dating, on the other hand…”  
  
This time, it was Elle who narrowed her eyes. Calla held up her hands in defense. “Just kidding, mum!” she replied hastily.  
  
Elle breathed a sigh of relief and Calla jumped into her mother’s arms. Elle ran her hands through her daughter’s hair, not wanting to let go. It was a struggle to hold back tears, even though the train’s whistle was already blowing.   
  
“I love you, Calla,” she whispered.  
  
Calla closed her eyes. “I love you too,” she whispered back. “And I might be wrong, but mum…I have a feeling it’s going to be Gryffindor.”  
  
Elle pulled back and gazed into her daughter’s eyes. “That’s great, sweetie,” she beamed. “Anything else you have a feeling about?”  
  
Calla took a deep breath. Her sense about the future had been getting stronger the closer and closer it got to her leaving for Hogwarts, though a lot of the times, the visions remained fuzzy.   
  
“Tomorrow’s Daily Prophet,” Calla said, “for the first time, will have you on the cover instead of dad.”  
  
Elle frowned. “Me?”  
  
Calla nodded in admiration. “First witch in years to run for the position of Minister of Magic.”  
  
Elle laughed. Her and Hermione had been working on her campaign all summer. Elle wanted this position more than anything. After stories Harry had told her about Fudge, and their current Minister, she thought she could do the job quite brilliantly. It was the only thing she could remember feeling confident about in a while. Besides, she wanted to show her daughter that women could be strong and could rule the world, no matter what they looked like or where they came from.  
  
Calla gave her mother once last hug, and then turned to her father.

“Will these visions and senses that I have…will they ever turn into something more? Will I ever really be able to tell the future?”  
  
Harry and Elle shared a knowing look.

“They very well might,” Harry assured Calla. “But I wouldn’t worry about it right now. Just focus on your studies. And we’ll definitely see you at Christmas.”  
  
Calla nodded, gave everyone one last farewell, and then hurried onto the train. Harry noticed a lot of people giving them looks, but he wasn’t worried about his daughter in the slightest. This summer had showed him just how smart and brave she really was, and he knew that she could handle herself.

He saw another young first year boy offer her a seat in his compartment, and Calla gratefully sat down next to him. The train gave one final whistle and began to slowly chug away from the station. Harry took Elle by the shoulders, as Elle was now hastily wiping away tears.  
  
“You’re such a sap,” he sighed.  
  
Elle sniffed. “Sun is in my eyes,” she said simply, giving him a shove.   
  
Harry laughed. “What do you think it would be like if we hadn’t gotten together?”  
  
Elle frowned. “You mean, like if we had stayed divorced?”  
  
Harry shook his head. “I mean, if we had stayed broken up back in seventh year.”  
  
Elle tilted her head curiously. “Well, if we’re talking your seventh year,” she pondered. “You probably would have had to hunt down pieces of Voldemort’s soul in order to kill him, which would have involved months of miserable camping and a break-in to Gringotts, and you and Ginny would have probably married.”  
  
Malfoy shot them a look as Ginny burst into laughter. Harry shook his head.   
  
"I swear, I don’t know where you get these things,” he said wonderingly.  
  
Elle grinned. “Read it in a book once,” she said quietly.   
  
Harry gripped her shoulders. “I think things are perfect the way they are,” he said simply, looking on fondly as the train grew smaller and smaller in the distance.   
  
Elle smiled brightly. “Not yet,” she said, pointing a finger. A brilliant rainbow shot out from her fingertip, shining brilliantly against the morning sky. Harry grinned as the train sailed under it, and Kevin and Michael shouted at their parents to look at the rainbow that had magically appeared. Elle hoped that Calla was looking out the window and knew the rainbow was for her.  
  
“ _Now_  it’s perfect,” she sighed, pulling Harry’s face down to give him a kiss. When they broke apart, the train had disappeared, but the rainbow remained.   
  
 **THE END**  
  



	11. The Epilogue

“Elle, Hermione, get in here!” Harry called noisily from the living room.

“What is it?”

“Calla’s first letter just arrived!”

There was a short squeal, and soon the two women came running into the room, Hermione with a quill still tucked behind her ear and Elle with various paint stains on her fingers.

“I can’t believe it’s been a whole WEEK and she only wrote to us once!” Elle exclaimed, tearing the letter from Harry’s hand and almost ripping it in half.

Harry laughed. “What do you expect her to do, not go to lessons and write to us instead, sending us hourly updates?”

Elle glared at him, and Hermione frowned at the thought of a first year missing lessons.

“Let’s read it,” Hermione suggested quickly, in order to avoid bickering between the two of them.

_Dear Mum and Dad,_   
  
_Hogwarts has been great so far, and thanks to our adventure at the Ministry, a lot of people seem to know who I am. Which is a little weird, but definitely keeps things from being lonely. I miss you guys, but classes have been amazing! Transfiguration and Charms are my favorites so far, but Potions I can live without. Especially since I got lost my first day and was ten minutes late to my first Potions lesson. I don’t think Snape is ever going to forgive me for that one._

Harry laughed, and Elle groaned and covered her face with her hands.

“And I so hoped she wasn’t going to take after me with the whole tardiness thing,” Elle moaned.

Harry gave her a light shove. “With the last name Potter, Snape was always going to hate her, let’s face it,” he said lightly.

_Anyway, I know I forgot to tell you guys right away, but since I was sorted into Slytherin, I’ve kind of been avoiding the subject of houses._

Harry choked, and Hermione helpfully pounded him on the back.

_Just kidding dad, I’m in Gryffindor. And I know first years aren’t really supposed to do this, but I think I want to try out for the Gryffindor quidditch team (I know, following in my parents footsteps, how cliché am I?). Not for Seeker or Beater though- for Keeper. Every time I’ve played with you two at home, I’ve always been able to sense which direction the ball was heading. I know that sounds crazy, but I think it’ll help the team, and besides, it’s about time I got my first broom, right? Hagrid thinks it’s a good idea, or at least he did the last time I went round his hut for tea._

Elle and Harry beamed at each other, before turning their attention back to the letter.

_Anyway, I’m sorry I haven’t written sooner, but really, it’s only been a week and I can just tell that life is going to be awesome here. I’ll write again soon, but I can’t wait to see everyone at Christmas. Tell Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron to give Kevin and Michael some hugs and shoves for me, and tell Ginny and Malfoy to hex you two into oblivion if you start fighting again._   
  
_I love you both, so much. And mum, try not to worry about me. You taught me everything you could, and so far, it seems to be paying off._   
  
_Calla_

Elle sighed and leaned her head on Harry’s shoulder.

“I miss her,” she said softly, as Harry played with her hair.

“I do too,” he said reassuringly. “But it’s not like you haven’t been keeping busy, you’ve been working on your campaign for Minister all summer!”

Elle held up her paint-stained fingers. “Yeah, I wish I could say I was making as much progress with the posters as I was with the platforms. Kind of feels like I’m running for a muggle Prom Queen or something.”

Hermione laughed. “As your campaign manager, I have to say, your platforms are amazing, Elle. Much better than Fudge’s were anyway, and much more focused than your opponent.”

Elle grinned. “Well, I do admit, equal rights for all magical creatures and less segregation between muggles and wizards does sound a lot better than Ministry-approved Hogwarts courses and the banishment of werewolves from the magical community. I mean, seriously? Haven’t we moved on from that sort of thing?”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “The Ministry of Magic has done a lot of damage over the years,” she said softly. “That was one of the reasons I was hesitant to work there in the first place. But we can’t do anything to change it by sitting and complaining about their politics, and besides, I think it’s about time we had a woman in charge of the magical community.”

Elle grinned slyly. “And by the looks of my macho-man opponent, it doesn’t seem as though he can afford to lose to a so-called little girl.” She looked to Harry. “That was what he called me, wasn’t it? Among other things?”

Harry shook his head. “He deserves a good punching, both Ron and Malfoy say so. It’s about the only thing they’ve ever agreed on.” He squeezed Elle’s shoulders. “And speaking of little girls, Calla really admires you for doing this. You’re setting a great example.”

Elle shook her head. “Who would have thought that a blonde ditz from California could become the next Minister of Magic?”

Harry smiled. “You’ve always had it in you,” he said gently. “And I’m proud to call you my wife, no matter what happens in the election.”

“And if you two can make it through the world’s worst almost-divorce,” Hermione joked, “then you can certainly make it through the first debate.”

Elle and Harry shared a look. “Another adventure, huh?” Elle asked.

Harry grinned. “Adventures are what we do,” he said shrugging. “Now come on,” he sighed, getting up. “Let’s write to Calla. I’ve been meaning to send her the Marauder’s Map, and I need to find out what kind of racing broom she’d like...”

Laughing, the three friends stumbled out of the living room in search of ink and parchment.


End file.
